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Bill that appropriates amusement license revenues OK’d
With the exception of one item, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has signed into law, a local bill that would appropriate $800,000 from revenues of amusement licenses collected for Saipan pursuant to Public Law 20-59.
With the exception of one vetoed portion, House Local Bill 23-1, S1 is now Saipan Local Law No. 23-01. The bill was originally passed by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation. The vetoed portion refers to the $30,000 appropriation to the Board of Parole Saipan Office for its personnel/operations.
In explaining the need to line-item veto this portion, Palacios said that, based on the Attorney General’s review, the expenditure authority for the Board of Parole is the chief parole officer, with the approval of the chairperson of the Board of Parole, pursuant to the Commonwealth Code.
The governor said the language in a section of the bill proposes to make the chief of parole officer the expenditure authority, in consultation with the members of the Board of Parole. Palacios said this provision contravenes a Commonwealth law that takes precedence over local law.
“As such, I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to line-item veto this appropriation in HLB 23-1,S1,” he said.
Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan) introduced the bill; 13 other lawmakers co-sponsored it.
The bill repeals and re-enact a statute pertaining to reservation of revenues generated from the licensing of amusement machines. The funds are derived from the annual fees from the amusement machines within the CNMI.
