House gives casino bill another try

The House of Representatives passed yesterday a bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan but the Senate, which killed a similar bill last year, said it will not entertain the casino bill in their session today on Tinian.

After pointed questions and brief debate among members, House Bill 17-240 passed by a vote of 10-5, with one voting “present,” one abstaining, and three absences.

Many of those who voted “yes” on the casino bill cited the need to restore 80 work hours biweekly, save the NMI Retirement Fund, and save the economy that now only relies on tourism that is still struggling.

The casino bill, introduced by Rep. Ralph Demapan (Cov-Saipan) and Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Torres), along with co-sponsors, is now on its way to the Senate for action.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota), when asked for comment, said the Senate will not entertain the casino bill today on Tinian. There’s no telling yet whether the Senate will again kill a House casino bill or approve it this time.

The Senate killed Rep. Froilan Tenorio’s (Cov-Saipan) casino bill last year during a session held on Tinian.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan), during debate on the casino bill yesterday, asked Demapan point blank whether there’s already a “compromise” with the Senate on the casino legislation.

“If there’s a compromise with the Senate…then reveal it now,” Tebuteb asked.

Demapan said there’s none.

Manglona echoed this in a later interview, saying there’s no compromise or any agreement about any casino bill.

Rep. Frank Dela Cruz (R-Saipan) offered a floor amendment that would require a $100 million casino license, instead of only $10 million, citing a statement he heard from one of the individuals who testified on the casino bill yesterday that there’s an investor willing to pay that amount.

Dela Cruz told his colleagues that if his amendment passes, he will be the first one to sign off on the bill.

But Dela Cruz’s amendment was defeated by a vote of 11-6.

Only Demapan’s floor amendment, mostly technical in nature, was adopted unanimously.
Rep. Teresita Santos (Ind-Rota), during the session, said the casino bill is “shortsighted” and while the previous bill gave Rota and Tinian 25 percent each in casino revenue, the new bill gives the two islands only a 20-percent share each. She said the proposal should be in the form of an initiative rather than a bill.

Demapan, in response, said any member who has concerns on bills should communicate those concerns to the author of the bill for a “more meaningful, more productive” legislation.

He said he would like to give the bill “another try.”

“If the Senate reconsiders their position and pass [it], it will go to the governor. The governor, he has no reason to veto the bill because his concerns are addressed in this bill,” he said.

Demapan added that the Nov. 4 non-binding survey on the casino was “virtually even” between those opposed and supporting casinos on Saipan, with only a nine-vote difference in favor of those opposed.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial vetoed a local casino bill last month, citing its unconstitutionality and recommended that a new House bill be introduced instead.

House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) said even medical referral patients are denied tickets by travel agents who are owed money by the cash-strapped government, government employees still getting 16-hour cuts biweekly, and employees have not received their deserved within-grade salary increases for years.

Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan), for his part, said states with casinos have seen a thriving casino industry, something that the CNMI needs to help its economy.

“Benefits far outweigh the costs. We need to support a revenue-generating [industry] or our people will further suffer,” he said.

When it came to voting, the “yes” votes outnumbered the “no” votes, just like last year when the House passed Tenorio’s bill.

How they voted

The 10 who voted “yes” on the new bill yesterday were Basa, Demapan, Rep. Sylvester Iguel (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), Rep. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan), Tenorio, Torres, Rep. Fred Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), and Cabrera.

The “no” votes came from Dela Cruz, Santos, Tebuteb, Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), and Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan).

House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan) voted “present,” while Rep. Trenton Conner (R-Tinian) abstained.

Three House members were absent: Vice Speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan), House minority leader Joseph Deleon Guerrero (R-Tinian), and Rep. Janet Maratita.

Ogumoro and Deleon Guerrero are in Kosrae for the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures’ board of directors meeting, while Maratita is off-island to accompany her son for medical reasons.

At the beginning of the session, House members listened to comments from members of the public supporting and opposing the casino bill.

The 29-page casino bill says five casino licenses are available but a casino commission has the authority to issue or provide for an additional number of licenses, subject to the approval of the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation. The cap does not apply to one casino that is owned collectively and operated by a chartered Northern Marianas Descent corporation.

Under the bill, a non-refundable casino license application fee is $250,000, while a casino license costs $10 million and is valid for 30 years.

A license can be granted in connection with an existing hotel or resort that has at least 250 rooms, a golf course with at least 100 rooms or a convention center. It can also be granted to an entity that will have a new investment of not less than $100 million, inclusive of the hotel, resort or convention center.