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Tug-of-war over SOCA
Yumul resolution eyes SOCA on Dec. 1
Ralph N. Yumul, Ralph DLG Torres and Paul A. Manglona
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has cancelled the State of the Commonwealth Address, which was originally scheduled for last Friday, and reset it to Oct. 31. But House of Representatives floor leader Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (R-Saipan) has pre-filed a joint resolution to instead hold the SOCA on Dec. 1, 2022.
Torres requested the Legislature last Wednesday to convene in a joint legislative session to receive the SOCA at the Kensington Hotel on Oct. 31.
That same day, Wednesday, Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) called for a regular session in the Senate chamber for today, Monday, at 1pm. On the agenda is the governor’s request to convene a joint legislative session for SOCA.
Yumul, however, pre-filed Thursday House Joint Resolution 22-18 to call for a joint session of the Legislature to receive Torres’ SOCA on Dec. 1.
On Thursday, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) also called for a regular session for today, Monday, at 9am in the House chamber.
Hofschneider then canceled Friday the Senate’s session for today, at 1pm. He did not indicate the reason. Yesterday, though, he rescheduled the session for today, but this time at 8am and not 1pm as he had originally set.
The CNMI Constitution directs the governor to report annually to the Legislature on the affairs of the Commonwealth and any new measures that are necessary or desirable for the Commonwealth. The last time the Legislature held a joint session to receive the SOCA was March 31, 2017.
Yumul is proposing that the House, with the Senate concurring, to have a joint session on Dec. 1 at 10am in the House chamber, to receive the governor’s annual SOCA.
When asked why he chose Dec. 1, Yumul said the House leadership agreed on a date following the Nov. 8 general elections.
Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) said yesterday that Hofschneider’s memorandum issued at 7am yesterday calling for a Senate session today at 8am not only violates the Open Government Act, but is also an obvious move that the Senate is “racing” to hold a session before the House holds its session today at 9am.
Manglona pointed out that the Senate president sent out Wednesday a memorandum, calling for a session today at 1pm. That was canceled Friday afternoon, though, after receiving notice of the House’s call for session. Manglona said with this cancellation, he was under the assumption that the Senate was taking the high road and will support the House joint resolution to hold the SOCA on Dec. 1.
He said it now seems that the Senate wants to hold its session today just so that they can pass a resolution to have the SOCA on Oct. 31, granting the governor’s wish.
“The Senate should stop this political gamesmanship. We do not work for the governor and grant his every request. We should not be rubber stamp public servants of the administration,” Manglona said.
Torres was originally set to deliver the SOCA last Friday at 10am at the Kensington Hall of the Kensington Hotel Saipan.
On Tuesday, Rep. Christina E. Sablan (D-Saipan) were among the Democrat House members who questioned Torres’ SOCA that was supposed to be delivered Friday, saying there was no joint session by the House and the Senate, and that the venue is at one of the most expensive hotels in the CNMI.
On Wednesday, Torres said in communication with the Legislature, SOCA will be rescheduled for Oct. 31 at 10am at the same venue: Kensington Hall of the Kensington Hotel Saipan.
