Flashback August 22, 2000-2002

[B]August 22, 2000

Easing of gun control sparks debate in House[/B]

Legislation aimed at luring resort developments offering shooting practice and target ranges sparked debate yesterday in the House of Representatives after some members balked at the proposal to ease use of handguns in the Northern Marianas. HB 12-212, sponsored by House Floor Leader Oscar M. Babauta, narrowly passed with six “yes” votes against four “no” votes, while four others abstained. An amendment to the Weapons Control Act, the measure now heads to the Senate for action.

[I]Govt spending down significantly[/I]

While the Tenorio Administration’s cost-cutting measures allowed the continued delivery of basic social services to the Northern Marianas community, the austerity program can only go to a certain extent unless supplemented by concrete actions that would spur growth in the turtle-paced rally of the local economy. Faced with the task of efficiently running the government through limited funding, the Commonwealth is also rushing to identify potential business activities that may save further collapse of the economy in order to nourish public coffers.

[B]Extortion, drugs eyed in Chalan Piao killing[/B]

Two weeks after Hong Kong Chinese Kim Fai Tse was gunned down by unidentified men at BBQ Restaurant in Chalan Piao, police investigators are now looking into the possible connection of prostitution, gambling, extortion, and drugs to the killing. So far police have not arrested any suspect in the murder of Tse. His 35-year-old woman companion who was seriously wounded in the dawn attack has been placed under protective custody of the Department of Public Safety.

[B]August 22, 2001

Breakwater study done by October[/B]

Results of the reconnaissance and assessment study on the present condition of the breakwater on Tinian and on Rota are expected to be completed in October, according to the United States Department of Army. Army Commanding officer Robert B. Flowers said the assessment of the potential navigational improvements at Rota and Tinian harbors started last March.

[B]Proposed ban on harmful detergents gains ground[/B]

Sen. Ricardo S. Atalig has vowed to support the passage of a bill that seeks to prohibit the sale, manufacture, distribution or use of detergents containing phosphate, saying that such a bill is necessary for the protection of the environment. Atalig said in an interview yesterday that he supports House Bill 12-167, or the Phosphate Detergent Act, 100 percent and that he will push for the measure’s passage during the next Senate session.

[B]Senate to review procurement process[/B]

The Senate will push through with its oversight hearing on Thursday and Friday to take up the procurement process of the government, in a bid to identify weaknesses in the system and come up with corresponding solutions. This was assured by Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano, even as he said that the oversight hearing does not only intend to identify problems but also to map out ways of making the system more efficient and faster.

[B]August 22, 2002

Anti-corruption unit mulled[/B]

Faced with a growing pile of referrals from the Office of the Public Auditor, the Attorney General’s Office is planning to create a unit comprised of two lawyers that would solely handle public corruption cases and the collection of funds owed to the CNMI government. Attorney General Robert T. Torres told reporters yesterday that his office is mulling the creation of the Public Corruption and Debt Collection Unit, in response to the accumulating referrals from the OPA that have been outstanding for many years already.

[B]Task force formed to address NMI’s groundwater problems[/B]

The Division of Environmental Quality has formed a groundwater task force that will pool inter-agency efforts to address Saipan’s groundwater problem. Based on a study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Agency in 2000, several water wells in at least four villages on Saipan-San Antonio, As Lito, Lower Base and Puerto Rico-have been drawing water from aquifers contaminated with volatile organic compounds exceeding the maximum contaminant levels allowed for human consumption.