House OKs restoring benefit to governor, lt. governor

The House of Representatives passed Tuesday a bill that restores special retirement annuities for the governor and lieutenant governor that will be retroactive in nature.

The House passed Rep. John Paul Sablan’s (R-Saipan) House Bill 20-36, HD1 on a vote of 13-5. The bill is co-signed by Reps. Edwin Aldan (R-Tinian) and Glenn Maratita (R-Rota).

Reps. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan), Vinson Sablan (Ind-Saipan), Joseph Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan), and minority leader Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) voted against it.

Reps. Blas “B.J.” Jonathan Attao (Ind-Saipan) and Jose Itibus (R-Saipan) were absent.

H.B. 20-35 seeks to restore special retirement annuities equal to 65 percent of the last annual salary paid the governor or lieutenant governor.

Current law provides that this provision in the Commonwealth Code only allows the governor and lieutenant governor to avail of this special benefit if they served at least one full term in office.

The provision that sets up the percentage governors and lieutenant governors are set to receive has been repealed and, since June 14, 2007, individuals who held these positions have not been receiving retirement annuities.

The bill, however, states that an individual who has served as either a governor or lieutenant governor may receive this benefit even if they serve less than a full term of four years and is retroactive in nature.

Deleon Guerrero, in a brief interview with Saipan Tribune, said he was one of the members who amended the section in the Commonwealth Code that refers to special benefits to the governor and lieutenant governor.

The amendment was known as Public Law 15-70.

“P.L. 15-70 repealed the annuity and I was here during the 15th Legislature. I believe I supported that bill [to repeal that section],” he said, adding that all he aimed for was consistency.

Rep. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan) told Saipan Tribune explained his opposition to unfunded liabilities.

“Today, although financial solvency has improved, H.B. 20-36 does not point to a specific funding source to ensure that this does not end up becoming an unfunded liability again. Anytime there’s an unfunded liability, we run the risk of public indebtedness,” he said.

H.B. 20-36, HD1 now heads to the Senate for review and action.