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Senate passes MVA funding, runoff election bills
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Posted on May 18 2009
The Senate yesterday passed a bill providing for runoff election procedures and allows for the counting of absentee ballots on the day of election, along with a bill that reprograms $206,396.34 from the Marianas Visitors Authority’s operations budget to its personnel appropriation.
By an 8-0 vote, House Bill 16-243 passed, which would save the job of 15 of 35 current MVA employees once the governor signs it into law.
MVA managing director Perry Tenorio, who was present at yesterday’s session, issued in April a notice to its 35 employees of a reduction in force effective June 1 in order to stay within the funding level for the rest of the fiscal year, unless a reprogramming of funds within the agency is approved.
The Senate also passed House Bill 16-220, which amends the CNMI Election Law to provide for runoff election procedures and to allow for the counting of absentee ballots on election day.
The bill, however, had floor amendments to clarify that voters who did not vote in the preceding general election are still qualified to register for the runoff election and the next general election, said Senate Floor Leader Jude U. Hofschneider.
Hofschneider said H.B. 16-220, introduced by Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, also empowers the Commonwealth Election Commission board of directors to promulgate the rules and regulations.
The bill said it is necessary to establish runoff election procedures as mandated by the ratification of House Legislative Initiative 15-16, which amends Article III Section 4 of the Constitution to require a runoff election for governor and lieutenant governor if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for that office.
Approximately 73 percent of total votes cast during the 2007 general election were in support of the initiative.
The bill also mandates the counting of absentee ballots on election day to allow for more time for the transitional period of the governor-elect and lieutenant governor-elect.
