FLASHBACK – May 17, 2012

May 17, 2000

Lang: Abortion is illegal in CNMI

Abortion is illegal in the Northern Marianas as provided under the CNMI Constitution unless both the Commonwealth and U.S. judicial systems decide otherwise, according to former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio. Belittling a legal opinion issued in 1995 when he was the governor, Mr. Tenorio said that view was “flawed” on several grounds as the Constitution bans abortion on the island “until our courts say otherwise.” Based on the legal analysis written by former Attorney General Richard Weil and Assistant Attorney General Celeste Andersen on March 10, 1995, a woman’s right to have an abortion in the CNMI is guaranteed under the Covenant, the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court case law, the CNMI Constitution and the federal statutory law.

PSS busing service appeals for community cooperation

The Public School System Pupil Transportation Services is asking the PSS administration to restrict students’ bus pick-up to cover only primary roads. This is to mitigate further damage Saipan’s secondary rough roads have done to the poor state of PSS’ old buses, according to Administrative Service’s Jess Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez is urging parents to meet PSS halfway by having the children ready on bus stops located at primary roads nearest them.

May 17, 2001

CPA needs $40M to fund 5-year plan

The Commonwealth Ports Authority is seeking financial and technical assistance from the US Department of Transportation for the realization of its five-year airport improvement masterplan. Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said about $40 million will be needed to effectively carry out CPA’s priority infrastructure projects on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Mr. Salas said the transportation department promised to help CPA with its proposed terminal expansion projects for the Saipan, Tinian and Rota international airports. Under the five-year plan, CPA will carry out major improvements in all of the three islands’ air transport facilities, with Saipan needing $29 million, Rota would need $1 million and Tinian would require about $10 million.

DPW generates $200k from tipping fees

Implementation of the tipping system in Puerto Rico dump generated more than $200,000 in additional government revenues since late last year, according to the Department of Public Works. Solid Waste Division Director John Harder said the imposition of tipping fees since October provided DPW additional funds to handle maintenance and operational costs of the dumpsite. Fees imposed largely depend on garbage tonnage and household refuse were given discounted rates. Minimum fee is pegged at $10 per ton. The money was deposited to the Commonwealth General Fund. Money collected out of tipping fees is used to defray maintenance, personnel and operational expenditures.

May 17, 2002

NMI on alert vs Korean FMD

With the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources yesterday said quarantine personnel are on alert to prevent contaminated beef from coming into the CNMI. But Marianne Teregeyo, the DLNR’s public information officer, quickly clarified that quarantine personnel are always on alert, even without the South Korea outbreak. The Korean situation has prompted House Rep. Stanley Torres to write a letter to Gov. Juan N. Babauta about this, to prevent contaminated meat products from coming into the Commonwealth. In a letter to Babauta dated yesterday, Torres asked the Governor whether or not to worry about the South Korean outbreak of the FMD disease-an animal disease that primarily affects pigs and cows.

Lawmakers cut work hours of staff

Following the lead of House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, two other lawmakers have also begun instituting austerity measures in their respective offices, including cutting down the working hours of their respective staffs. Reps. Martin B. Ada and Oscar M. Babauta both disclosed that they have cut down the working hours of their staff from eight hours a day to just six hours daily. This effectively means that the offices of both lawmakers will open at 7:30am and close down two hours early at 2:30pm. Besides the cutback in the working hours of their personnel, both Ada and Babauta said they have to return the vehicles they were leasing for their offices’ use.