House could give new casino bill to Senate for introduction

The House leadership is considering sending its new draft casino bill to the Senate for the latter’s introduction, even as members of the House leadership plan to meet this morning with the governor to, among other things, know whether he will sign the local casino bill that the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation passed on Aug. 26.

Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan) said if some members of the Senate are serious about considering this time around a Saipan casino bill, then they could introduce the bill themselves.

Palacios said the bill is now being drafted by the House leadership.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota), when asked for comment, said the Senate already has a reasonable proposal to ask voters on their position about casino gambling.

The Senate is tapping Northern Marianas College students for a special survey among Saipan voters whether they would like casinos to be legalized on island.

Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan) said the draft casino bill takes Rep. Stanley Torres’ (R-Saipan) local casino bill and converts it into a regular House bill.

But during yesterday’s leadership meeting, Tenorio said there were further recommended changes to the draft bill, including the distribution of revenues from casino operations, including business gross revenue and gaming revenue.

Tenorio said some 70 percent of all revenues derived from the establishment of casino operations will be from gaming revenues, and 30 percent will be from other activities such as hotel and restaurant earnings.

He said he’s willing to distribute 10 percent of the casino gaming revenues as follows: 25 percent for Rota, 25 percent for Tinian, and 50 percent for Saipan.

But during the leadership meeting, other members recommended that the distribution be 10 percent for Rota, 10 percent for Tinian, 40 percent for Saipan, and 40 percent for the NMI Retirement Fund, said Palacios.

Tenorio said the most important reason for a casino bill is to save the Fund.

He said he’s recommending that all business gross revenue tax collected from casino operations should go directly to the Fund until all the unfunded liabilities are wiped out. After that is paid off, the BGRT will go to the general fund, he added.

As of yesterday, there’s no telling when this draft bill will be finalized or whether the House leadership would really send it to the Senate for introduction.

The Senate killed a House casino bill last year, and is also threatening to bring to court the local casino bill that the Saipan delegation recently passed.

Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan), author of the local casino bill, said he does not want to get involved with the drafting of a new House casino bill.

“I’m satisfied with my local casino bill that’s now with the governor. …Unless the governor rejects it, then I will not get involved with other casino bills,” he added.

The Senate president, meanwhile, reiterated that approving a casino bill won’t solve all of the CNMI’s economic woes.