‘Cut number of lawmakers but raise their salaries’

Another legislative initiative is in the offing, this time to reduce the number of lawmakers from 29 to 17 but will increase their annual salaries from $39,300 to $60,000 and their annual operational or office account to $100,000.

Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan) said yesterday that he expects to introduce his legislative initiative at the next House session.

In the draft legislative initiative, Senate members will be reduced from nine to six, with one member elected at large from each legislative district at each general election.

The term of office for senator will still be four years, but no person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms.

Tenorio’s proposed initiative also raises the age requirement for those running for senators, from at least 25 years old to at least 35 years old.

His proposed initiative also makes the lieutenant governor the Senate president “but shall vote only when the Senate is equally divided.”

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota), when asked for comment, said he supports the former governor’s planned proposal to reduce the number of lawmakers but only if senators are elected at large from each of three senatorial districts.

“If he’s sincere in reducing the number of lawmakers, I suggest he make sure that senators are elected from each of the senatorial district or it will be defeated on Rota and Tinian. The legislative initiative has to get two-thirds vote of at least two senatorial districts,” Manglona told Saipan Tribune.

Dead on arrival

Manglona also said that if Tenorio, a former governor and speaker, insists on increasing the salary of lawmakers, his planned legislative initiative would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

“People are already suffering, and I don’t know if the former governor knows that. This is not the right time to do that. I will not support it,” the Senate president said.

Under Tenorio’s planned initiative, the number of House members will be reduced from 20 to 11, who will be elected at large in their respective legislative districts.

Their term will be increased from two to four years, but they will not be allowed to serve for more than two consecutive terms.

However, House members’ age requirement remains at 21.

Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), who introduced a legislative initiative in February 2011 that would reduce by half the number of Saipan members of the House from 18 to nine, said he is currently reviewing Tenorio’s proposed initiative.

Palacios said that Tenorio asked him to consider whether the two measures could be merged.

His initiative is still under review by the House Judiciary and Government Operations Committee.