‘Reapportionment may be unnecessary’

Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos said yesterday that re-apportionment or redistricting “may not be necessary” at this time but he and Gov. Benigno R. Fitial have yet to discuss the matter. Today marks the last day for the Legislature to promulgate such a plan.

“We’ll have to take a look at it. Maybe redistricting may not be necessary,” Inos told reporters in an interview during a break at the Attorney General’s Cup yesterday. After the AG’s Cup, Fitial avoided media interviews.

Inos said the governor has 120 days or four months to decide on the matter.

“That’s sufficient [time] enough to really dwell into it and discuss it,” Inos said.

Tomorrow will mark the first day of the 120-day period for the governor to promulgate a re-apportionment or redistricting plan.

Attorney General Edward Buckingham issued a two-page legal opinion on Feb. 6, concluding that the 120-day period for the Legislature to promulgate a re-apportionment or redistricting plan began on Jan. 5, 2012, “and will end on May 4, 2012.”

The Legislature is allowing its own 120-day period to lapse today, lawmakers said yesterday.

Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan), the first lawmaker to bring up the re-apportionment and redistricting matter after the results of the Census 2010 came out, said yesterday it is “disappointing” that the House didn’t decide on anything.

“We had our Thursday session, the last session before the 120 days end, and there was not even a mention of re-apportionment. Starting tomorrow, we won’t have any say anymore on redistricting and re-apportionment. It will now be up to the governor,” he said.

But he said re-apportionment may just maintain the same number of lawmakers. If one has to use Rota’s 2010 estimated population as base population, the number of House members from Saipan should be 19, instead of the current 18, so this will bring the total House members to 21.

Yumul, citing the NMI Constitution, says the number of House members is capped at 20. “So increasing it based on the Rota population is moot because we can’t exceed 20,” he added.

Redistricting, however, is another matter, he said, adding that some precincts may have to be expanded or shrunk.

All is not lost. Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan) and Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan) still have pending initiatives to reduce the number of lawmakers. Tenorio introduced his initiative yesterday. Their proposal calls for a constitutional amendment, in light of a shrinking population and economy.

Palacios wants to reduce the number of House members from Saipan from 18 to nine, while Tenorio wants to reduce the number of House and Senate members from 29 to 17.