FLASHBACK – July 14, 2011

AGO seeks OK of new criminal code[/B]

Legislators were undecided yesterday whether to approve a recently-completed Criminal Code for the Commonwealth and instead sought more time to review the 600-page comprehensive proposal from the Attorney General’s Office. But most members of the Legislature hailed efforts to revise the current 40-year old statute, saying the present situation needs fresher and clearer laws to deal with more complex and heinous crimes on the island. “The consolidation of all the statutes on criminal offenses presents a very clear and useful tool for government attorneys government as well as for private attorneys,” said Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes. “I think it is a step in the right direction.”

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday brushed aside a plan by the U.S. Congress to divert some $5.52 million out of the Capital Improvement Project funds that have been committed to the Northern Marianas, to the Virgin Islands for the next fiscal year. He assured the move would not hamper efforts by his administration to tap millions of dollars in federal construction grants, saying the CNMI would still receive a total of $77 million from Washington under the CIP program between 1996 to 2002. “We have a complete seven-year CIP plan and we are updating the plan as we go along. We will be using the federal funds as we find matching funds,” Tenorio told reporters.

House to review changes to Omnibus bill[/B]

The Omnibus Labor and Business Reform Act may go through another round of review in the House of Representatives to consider amendments made by the Senate, according to acting Speaker Oscar M. Babauta. He also raised the possibility of a bicameral conference if the lower house rejects the changes to HB 12-39 as he stressed the need to gauge its impact to the business community. “If we are convinced that [business leaders] are very content, we will proceed with the passage and we’ll handle the other reform measures that were omitted by the Senate,” Mr. Babauta told reporters in an interview yesterday.

The CNMI government is upbeat on the possible multiplier effect of the $60-million municipal bond that is expected to be floated either next month or in September to finance major infrastructure projects under the Section 702 of the Covenant. Development Authority Board Chair John S. Tenorio said the $60 million bond, which will be used to match federal grants for Capital Improvement Projects, may translate to over $400 million in fresh money circulating within the Northern Marianas economy in a four-year period. Tenorio said the CNMI inevitably needs these projects, citing the value of the stimulus these new infrastructure activities are anticipated to create on the local economy. The Governor’s CIP Task Force has completed the seven-year spending plan for $154 million in new capital infrastructure projects.

USDE urged to check WASC[/B]

Unsatisfied with the explanation given by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, a Saipan lawmaker has now called on U.S. Department of Education Secretary Rod Paige to intervene and look at the commission’s “unsubstantiated threats of sanctions and conflicting opinions” on issues relating to the Northern Marianas College. In a three-page June 11 letter, House Ways And Means Committee chair Rep. Stanley Torres called on Paige to intervene in what he described as a “distressful situation” at NMC. The lawmaker, who has been critical of the present NMC leadership, said the USDE’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity may be able to assist on his concerns.

The Society for Human Resource Management has invited Frank Gibson from the Office of Personnel Management to give a two-and-a-half-hour interactive workshop on job descriptions. Gibson will explain the purpose of a job description, how we should use it, where we get the information to create one, who should prepare, approve and maintain job descriptions, and other important information related to job descriptions. Each participant will also receive hands-on experience in preparing a sample job description. The workshop will be held at Pacific Islands Club, Charley’s Cabaret, Thursday, July 17, 9am-11:30am. The cost for the workshop is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Lunch is included in the cost.