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Oct. 31 SOCA is a go—Torres
Ralph DLG Torres and Gilbert Birnbrich
With the Senate and the House of Representatives at an impasse after adopting different dates and venues for the State of the Commonwealth Address, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres disclosed yesterday that he will deliver his SOCA at the Kensington Hotel Saipan on Oct. 31 at 10am as planned.
“I will be addressing the Legislature and the community in my Commonwealth address,” said Torres in response to Saipan Tribune’s questions.
He said the House majority and others have complained about not being invited to his SOCA for Oct. 21 as he had originally set at the Kensington Hall. This, he said, prompted him to move the SOCA to Oct. 31 because he wanted to make sure that he accommodates their request.
“And now, they want to hold it on Dec. 1,” Torres said.
The Senate adopted Monday Senate Joint Resolution 22-13 to call for a joint session of the Legislature to receive the governor’s SOCA at the Kensington Hotel on Oct. 31.
The House also adopted Monday House Joint Resolution 22-18 to call for a joint session of the Legislature to receive Torres’ SOCA, but to be held in the House chamber on Dec. 1.
Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (R-Saipan), who is the author of the House Joint Resolution 22-18, said Monday that the House leadership met last week and decided that it will be fair for the Commonwealth to receive the SOCA after the Nov. 8 general elections.
Torres said yesterday that if he is not mistaken, the late governor Froilan Tenorio and former governor Benigno Fitial have both sent a written SOCA to the Legislature without having a joint resolution to receive it.
Torres said this was also the advice of his legal counsel, Gilbert Birnbrich, that he does not need a joint session, but when the House majority complained about not being invited, he wanted to make sure they are invited and gave them ample time to call a joint session.
“None of them made an issue about timing and so I asked for the 31st,” he said.
