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Senate approves FY2026 budget bill amid objections over casino back pay and added positions
Summary
On Dec. 22, 2025, the Northern Mariana Islands Senate passed House Bill 24-80 HS1, the FY2026 budget, after hearings on resource estimates and safeguards; the final vote was 7–1 with one member absent amid objections to a provision authorizing back pay for casino commissioners.
The Commonwealth Senate on Monday passed House Bill 24-80 HS1, the fiscal year 2026 budget measure, after debate over revenue estimates, earmarks and a contested provision that would authorize back pay for casino commissioners. The bill passed on a 7–1 roll-call vote with one member absent.
Fiscal analyst Dave Demapan laid out the administration-identified starting point for the budget at approximately $158,000,000 and described additional Department of Public Lands resources of about $4.4 million. After earmark reservations, debt-service obligations and a reinstatement to avoid charging the first quarter, Demapan said net available general-fund resources are roughly $130.9 million. “Let me begin with the identified…
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