Teno on Murkowski bill: ‘Not that bad’

Gov. Pedro P.Tenorio yesterday said US Sen. Frank Murkowski’s federal takeover proposal is “more friendly” compared to other bills pending in Congress, but maintained that any legislation that would take away local control over immigration and labor is unacceptable to the CNMI.

While Murkowski’s version draws praise from the governor for excluding minimum wage, Tenorio said, “The chairman knows that what we are asking from the federal government and the US Congress is that we maintain our labor and immigration laws.”

The bipartisan measure put forward last week by Murkowski, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) seeks full extension of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the Northern Marianas, but eased provisions that may rock the troubled island economy largely dependent on tourism and garment manufacturing.

“If we increase the minimum wage then we may have to lay off a lot of people. There will be a reduction in employment opportunities,” Tenorio explained.

The Murkowski bill joins the growing list of proposals in Congress that seeks to apply federal immigration, customs and minimum wage laws in the CNMI amid discontent on the way these Commonwealth functions are being handled by local officials.

Also a package of proposal is being finalized by White House officials aimed a reforming labor and immigration policies in the Northern Marianas.

The battle for control over local labor and immigration laws has been a wedge in the relations between the island government and the US, CNMI’s main financial backer. Officials here say such move would further hurt the ailing economy, but the feds maintain the need to reform the system, noting the Commonwealth’s deepening dependence on foreign labor.

According to the committee chairman, considered one of CNMI’s friends in the Republican-controlled Congress, his legislation will attempt to correct a “climate conducive to worker abuse”, which he blamed on both federal and local officials.

“I am not happy with either side of this debate,” Murkowski said.

Tenorio said since he assumed office, a package of reforms has been put in place to address the concerns of the federal government. “We are trying our best.”

He added the temporary hosting of hundreds of illegal Chinese immigrants is a test case for CNMI to show that it can handle its own immigration.

The Commonwealth leader also said he would be willing to testify to another oversight should Murkowski decide to should call a hearing in the US capital.