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House passes bill prohibiting military land leases
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to prohibit the Department of Public Lands from leasing any lands of the Commonwealth for military or live-fire bombing training and to require that any proposed public land lease for any other military activity be ratified by the people at a general or special election.
The bill cites concern with the continued bombing and damage to Farallon de Medinilla and the proposed new live-fire training ranges on Tinian and Pagan.
Attorney General Edward Manibusan, though, earlier said that the bill could not prevent the federal government from taking its desired land through eminent domain, a possible far worse outcome than if the land were leased, and that the bill would “discourage” negotiation and give the people less control of the acquisition process.
Sen. Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan), who authored the bill, maintains that because the required negotiations involve CNMI Covenant provisions, the document that established its relationship with the U.S., then the people, and not a department, should decide.
“…It should be the governor, executive, the head of the government, the legislative branch, or a team that will negotiate the terms and conditions and then that has to be ratified by the people because it is part of a Covenant provision…We should bring it back to the people,” Palacios told Saipan Tribune.
“The departmental level is not the way to go with the leasing of public lands for military or for federal,” he added.
The House amended and passed a version of the bill that adds that the proposed military leases be ratified by the CNMI people “of Northern Marianas Descent.” The NMD-favoring requirement, among other amendments to require a “majority” vote rather than a two-thirds majority, was passed by the House Tuesday.
