House passes multiple local appropriation bills, places renaming bill in draft
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Summary
The House suspended rules and passed four local bills (HLB 24-36, 24-38, 24-41 and HLB 24-45 Draft 1) to reappropriate local funds for parks, pathways and road repairs; HLB 24-37 (rename Issa Drive) received a floor amendment and was placed in Draft 1 with no final passage today.
The House moved through its bill calendar and approved several local appropriations during the third regular session.
The body voted to pass House Local Bill 24-36 to reappropriate $89,217 under Saipan Local Law 20-15 for maintenance and improvements of Commonwealth parks, recreational facilities in Precinct 3 and related pathways. The suspension and passage votes were adopted and the clerk recorded all 18 members voting in the affirmative.
House Local Bill 24-38, to appropriate a remaining balance of $48,450.33 under Saipan Local Law 20-26 for maintenance and repairs of parks and recreational facilities in Precinct 4 (project code 7190M), was likewise moved under suspension and passed by a recorded roll call showing 18 affirmative votes.
House Local Bill 24-41, to reappropriate $80,000 under Saipan Local Law 20-26 for projects in Precinct 2, passed by unanimous recorded vote.
House Local Bill 24-45 was taken up with multiple floor amendments offered by the author, Representative Ralph Yuma. The amendments adjusted line-item amounts (including a reduction of one playground allocation and changes to a road-repair base course amount), added $64,600 to a completed Garapan fishing base revetment to clear outstanding balances, and otherwise reallocated funds. After the adopted amendments, the clerk recorded 17 members voting in the affirmative; the transcript notes four members absent and the bill as Draft 1 was declared passed by the delegation.
House Local Bill 24-37, the measure to rename Issa Drive to Governor Carlos Escamacho Issa Drive, received a floor amendment inserting 'Issa' in the title and the text; legal counsel explained the textual changes and the amendment was adopted. The author requested leaving the bill in Draft 1 and did not seek final passage today.
Clerks and members repeatedly referred items to appropriate standing committees where required and the chair said he has requested the Department of Finance to certify availability of funds for appropriation items.