Saipan delegation passes casino bill

For the first time in CNMI history, two Saipan casino-related measures passed within hours of each other yesterday: One from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, and one from the Senate.

In a surprise move, the Senate introduced and passed yesterday morning a bill calling for a special election that will allow Saipan voters to decide whether they want to legalize casino gambling on their island.

The special election is to be held within 90 days from the bill’s signing into law.

Saipan voters will be asked, “Shall there be casino gambling in the Third Senatorial District?”

Hours after the Senate vote, the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation also passed a local bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan, but not before a lengthy discussion and debate on five floor amendments.

Senate Bill 17-90, introduced by Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), passed on a 7-0 vote with one abstention by Sen. Luis Crisostimo (Ind-Saipan). Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) was absent.

Torres said the Senate has made it clear that legalizing casinos on Saipan should be voted on by the people.

“We are aware of the [Saipan] delegation [bill]. If it passes, there might or will be a lawsuit forthcoming and that will prolong the process of casino [legalization]. Investors will be concerned about a lawsuit,” said Torres.

But Torres said if the Senate and House pass his bill and the governor signs it, there will not be a question about its constitutionality and legality, unlike the delegation’s local bill, and therefore investors can immediately start applying for a casino license.

“If you want to talk about expedited action, this is it,” Torres told his colleagues during the session.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) echoed Torres’ statement.

“No investor will invest here knowing that they’re on shaky ground. They’d ask, what if they pay the license application fee today and tomorrow there’s a lawsuit because of the local casino bill? We need to stop playing games and start the right way,” he said.

The Senate killed last year a House bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan.

Yesterday’s passage of the Senate bill to ask voters came four years after Saipan voters last rejected a similar question in 2007.

The Senate immediately transmitted the bill to the House, which held a session yesterday afternoon.

The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation took several session breaks from morning to afternoon yesterday to amend five times and then pass Rep. Stanley Torres’ (Ind-Saipan) bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan.

By a vote of 11-5 with one voting “present” and four absences, Torres’ House Local Bill 17-44, Committee Substitute 1, Draft 5 passed the delegation.

Passage of the casino bill crossed party lines, with two members of the majority—Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan) and House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan)—voting against the measure, and one member of the minority—Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan)—supporting it.

The 11 delegation members who voted “yes” on the casino bill, in the order of their actual voting, were: Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Rafael Demapan (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Sylvester Iguel (Cov-Saipan), House Vice Speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan), Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan), Sen. Luis Crisostimo (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Fred Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), and acting delegation chair Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan).

The five who voted “no” were: Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Frank Dela Cruz (R-Saipan), House minority leader Joseph Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), and Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan).

House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) voted “present.”

The four absent members were Rep. Janet Maratita (Ind-Saipan), Senate floor leader Pete Reyes (R-Saipan), Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), and delegation chairman Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan), who was in Korea.

Right after the voting, the delegation clerk announced that there were 10 “yes” votes. But a counting of the actual votes later revealed there were 11 “yes” votes. The acting chairman’s vote was not counted. Rep. Joseph Palacios said he voted “yes.”

The delegation has a total of 21 members: 18 from the House, and three from the Senate.

Torres, the bill’s author, said he’s relieved that his casino bill has finally passed the delegation and is on its way to the governor for action.

“I’m just surprised two majority members voted ‘no.’ I didn’t see that coming,” he said.

Villagomez, for his part, said he was already leaning toward voting “no” on the casino bill because he would have wanted Saipan voters to decide on the issue.

He said the several floor amendments “chopped up the bill and put pieces together,” which he said made it not comfortable for him to really vote on the bill.

The Senate said it will bring the matter to court if and when the delegation passes the local casino bill.

Because of the five amendments, the delegation has to incorporate the adopted amendments before transmitting it to the governor.

The delegation held off action on the casino bill on Thursday, following a recommendation from the Fitial administration to further amend the bill to provide a proposed casino commission the flexibility to determine the number of casino licenses to be issued and the amount of investments that will be required.

Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos met with House leadership members on Thursday and was in the House gallery during the delegation session. Later on, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Inos again met with House leadership members.