Bill to unfreeze wages goes to Torres

For the second time in a row, a reluctant Senate agreed yesterday to pass a $1.4-million appropriation bill, even after questions of funding sources went unanswered.

House Bill 20-108 HD1, which seeks to allocate $1.4 million as lump-sum payment for the 330 active or inactive government employees that had their wages frozen at Step 12, passed the Senate with a 9-0 vote.

Numerous senators said the bill, which is retroactive in nature, did not specify the source of the funding, causing numerous members to question the legislation.

Sen. Paul Mangloña (Ind-Rota) pushed for more attention toward the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Public School System.

In March this year, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres recognized about $28 million for supplemental appropriation. Of that amount, $20.5 million was taken for land compensation payments. That left $8 million to be appropriated. Now, $1.4 million, which is being proposed for the lump-sum payments, would be taken from $8 million. That would leave $5.95 million for appropriation. That is less than the 25 percent that is the mandated share of PSS from the original $28 million.

“This is serious negligence on the part of the Legislature. I don’t want to became a part of the negligence,” said Mangloña. “PSS and CHCC—especially CHCC—needs funding right now,” he said.

Still, he is “happy” that the frozen retroactive wages of several employees would be addressed.

Sen. Teresita Santos (R-Rota) said it is “just and fair” that the legislation be supported at that moment. “This legislation is long overdue,” she said.

“Our legal counsel raised the concern that an amendment to the bill may or may not be constitutionally legal as the source of funding was not specifically identified, thus I support the bill in its original form to facilitate the retroactive payments of the affected individuals,” said Santos in an email to Saipan Tribune.

“However, I ask the full Senate that on any subsequent bill, we, the Senate solidify our efforts to allocate a certain percentage of funding to address the growing and pressing needs of the first, second, and third senatorial districts, including CHCC, PSS, Medical Referral, and the CNMI Scholarship Program,” she wrote.

Sen. Steve Mesngon (R-Rota) expressed frustrations over the bill, saying the Office of Personnel Management must “upgrade OPM staffing for [the] three senatorial districts.”

The OPM was involved in securing the lists of all the names of the employees frozen at Step 12. Public Law 19-75 first addressed a few of the names; however OPM failed to include several other government employees that were also frozen at Step 12.

In a message to the House, Sen. Francisco Cruz (R-Tinian) said: “Please be mindful that we have to sit down and talk about the next appropriation because we cannot continue to go on like this. Our senatorial district needs assistance from these sources.” “We need to sit down, otherwise [in] the next appropriation from the House, I [can’t guarantee my vote].

Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan) said he supports the intent of the bill but hopes that the agencies responsible would “do their job” to prevent repetitive actions.

HB 20-108 HD1 now heads to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres for signing.