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Diego, Stanley named to House panel
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Posted on Sep 08 2008
Reps. Diego T. Benavente and Stanley T. Torres have been named to replace the two members who resigned recently from the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations.
Benavente and Torres replace Reps. Tina Sablan and Edward Salas, who quit the committee after the House of Representatives, at the committee’s urging, shelved a bill granting improved immigration status to long-time foreign workers in the Commonwealth. Sablan and Salas, along with two other lawmakers, sponsored the bill.
Rep. Rosemond Santos, chairwoman of the committee, announced the appointment of Benavente and Torres in a memorandum to Speaker Arnold I. Palacios on Friday.
In her resignation letter, Sablan accused the legislative panel of irresponsible lawmaking practices. She said the committee did not give her an opportunity to review the report on the controversial immigration bill. She added that the two-page report failed to justify its recommendation.
According to veteran lawmaker, the House of Representatives’ rules allow a committee to report out a bill for consideration by the entire House, as long as the action has the approval of majority of the members. Santos and the two other committee members—Rep. Joseph C. Reyes and Rep. Edwin Aldan—signed the committee report.
