Saipan lawmakers wrestle over $3.2M in poker money

Saipan lawmakers wrestled for hours yesterday over how to spend $3.2 million in poker license fees that’s not even in the bag yet. Most of the amount was eventually set aside for scholarship; the rest ended up being divvied up among a fishing derby, an economic development summit, a leadership memorial, and to help fund a high school band, among other things.

Rep. Ray Yumul’s (R-Saipan) House Local Bill 17-68 was amended three times as members of the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation debated where projected poker license fee collections for fiscal year 2012 should go.

The bill passed by a vote of 19-0.  It now goes to the governor for action.

The three adopted amendments were offered by Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan) and Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan). Rep. Janet Maratita’s amended was defeated by a single vote.

Of the $3,228,050, the bulk or $3 million will go toward the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance.

The remaining $228,000, however, was the one that lawmakers really fought over.

Of this amount, $100,000 will go toward SHEFA operations. Maratita offered to slash this in half and give it to the actual SHEFA grant for students, but it was defeated.

SHEFA administrator Henry Hofschneider said it’s the actual cash flow that matters-whether the program operations funding is $50,000 or $100,000, although he said SHEFA needs more than one staff so it would be better to keep the operational budget at $100,000.

Saipan lawmakers gave $25,000 for the Saipan Little League, $10,000 for the 31st Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival, $2,000 for the Fire Division, and $3,300 for the completion of the Karidat Manhoben Center renovation. They also gave $2,700 for the Leadership Memorial Courtyard, also known as the Kios-Ku Project.

The delegation also gave $28,000 to the Saipan Mayor’s Office for the repair and maintenance of heavy equipment and $5,000 for the Parole Community Outreach Program.

– $12,000 will go to the Saipan Southern High School’s Manta Ray Band, and $14,000 to the Mount Carmel School to send its Mock Trial Team to the final competition in New Mexico.

– $5,000 will go to the Saipan Fishing Derby, and $16,000 for the Little League District Tournament.

– $5,000 will be for the Northern Islands Development Summit, which was strongly proposed by Ogumoro. This is in addition to $5,000 that a local law has already appropriated for the summit.

“We’re broke. We should emphasize on areas where we can generate money,” she said, referring to the need to develop the Northern Islands’ economic potentials and possible resettlement.

Confirmation

By a vote of 20-0, the delegation confirmed the re-appointment of Diego Blanco to serve another term on the Zoning Board.
“I thank the governor for his reappointment and the SNILD for unanimously confirming me. As always, I look forward to working with SNILD to improve our island and protect our community,” Blanco told Saipan Tribune.