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State of the Commonwealth to be held next week
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Posted on May 25 1999
Amid pressing issues confronting the Northern Marianas, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio is expected to deliver the annual State of the Commonwealth address during a joint House and Senate session next week.
Legislators are still choosing a definite date either on June 3 or 4 to hold the traditional event to be attended by members of the Legislature and other government officials.
It will also include the yearly address of Juan N. Babauta, CNMI’s representative to Washington, regarding the office which is the island’s link to the White House.
House Speaker Diego T. Benavente said he expects both reports to highlight achievements of the island government as well as some positive news on the current situation despite the continuous economic downturn here.
“We can all understand if programs and services right now are being reduced because of the financial situation,” he explained in an interview yesterday.
“I guess what we need to hear, what we hope to hear is the result from some increase in tourism activities. Maybe we are looking forward to hearing something a little bit better in the future,” Benavente added.
The address also will likely tackle several proposals pending in the U.S. Congress seeking application of federal laws on local immigration, minimum wage and customs.
“We all know what the situation is but this is something that is basically required by law which the governor and the Washington representative should report, not necessarily to the legislature, but to the people as far as the status of the Commonwealth government and Washington office is concerned,” Benavente said.
Last year, both Tenorio and Babauta focused on the failure by the Commonwealth to use the multi-year federal grants on capital improvement projects which had been left idle because of the inability by island officials to meet the matching requirement.
The governor also created the Task Force on Economic Recovery and Revitalization whose major work so far on the proposed free trade zone is under review by the House.
