House revamps election laws

Holding special session yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a slew of bills, including proposed election reforms and option for government employees to convert into vesting service in the NMI Retirement Fund long-overdue pay hikes.

SB 12-16 will repeal and re-enact the Election Act of the CNMI, is now up for the governor’s signature.

The bill aims to put in place new procedures and requirements for the registration of voters and the overall conduct of elections on the islands as the old law has yet to be changed since 1977.

Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider said the reforms are necessary to ensure smooth polling system, prevent intimidation of voters and help fund the Board of Elections in administering this political exercise.

In a report endorsing the measure, the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations chaired by Rep. Dino M. Jones maintained revamp of existing election laws will “meet the tests and demands” of the growing population as well as the ever-evolving political development here.

During public hearings conducted by the committee on the proposal, many, including municipal governments and BOE, have considered the bill as “major improvement over existing election policies and addresses the most ambiguous and problematic issues which occur practically in every election,” the report said.

In another bill passed by the lower house, members unanimously backed proposal to give eligible current or former government employees entitled to a salary adjustment that was implemented in 1991 the option to convert their entitlement to vesting service.

Although the NMIRF has opposed the measure due to its impact on its shaky financial condition since the government has not shelled out contributions for such benefits, the House said this is an alternative from compensation, especially when employees have not received the due pay raise.

Under HB 12-126 sponsored by Rep. Antonio M. Camacho, the Fund and the Department of Finance will develop and implement a formula for converting the salary adjustments into vesting service credit.

Employees will have 30 days after the scheme has been drawn up to apply to get the retirement benefits. “For those eligible employees who chose not to accept… or who failed, within the 30-day period,… may still receive, subject to legislative appropriation, the entitled salary adjustments as provided for in PL 7-31,” the bill stated.

It now heads to the Senate for action, as do three other bills passed by the House — one, allowing the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation to loan $3.8 million from MPLT for its housing loan program for homestead development, and two appropriation measures providing funds for water and road projects on Saipan.