House plans override of Teno’s veto on bills

The lower house is poised at reversing the Governor’s veto on four disapproved pieces of legislation pertaining to sick leave benefits, a homestead program, Civil Service reorganization, and a technology act.

Members of the House of Representatives are likely to move for an override on the four sets of proposed initiatives, which are viewed as legislation highly-beneficial to CNMI residents.

Governor Pedro. P. Tenorio vetoed a proposal to augment up to 360 hours government employees’ sick leave, in addition to other leave credits.

The local chief executive is of the view that the proposed legislation would not be in the best interest of the Commonwealth government and community as a whole.

The Office of Personnel Management and the Civil Services Commission reportedly unsupportive of the proposed act, citing that government employees are already enjoy generous sick leave benefits.

According to Mr. Tenorio, the existing sick leave bank already allows a government employee to take up to 160 hours of sick leave from the sick leave bank, in additional to what he or she had earned and accumulated.

“To allow for unlimited sick leave hours is not in the best interest of the Commonwealth and is a disservice to the community,” said the governor.

CSC also admitted it lacks personnel and funding to establish and administer an additional voluntary sick leave bank in additional to its existing sick leave bank

The governor has urged legislators, despite its good intention, to propose bills that will be fair and will serve the interest of all employees, the government, and community in general.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tenorio also rejected a proposed legislation that aims to establish a non partisan and independent civil service system.

He said that although the administrative relocation of the Office of the Personnel Management from the Office of the Governor to the Civil Service Commission is a lawful exercise of the Legislature’s broad authority, the means to accomplish the move is not.

The plan, as purported in the bill, to reenact and restore provisions of former statutes what were repealed by the enactment of the Executive Order 84-3 can not be done, according to the governor.

He added that if the Legislature wishes to reinstate the former law with respect to the Personnel Office, it must not only repeal the relevant provisions of the executive order but also reenact, in full, the former law it seeks to revive. (MM)