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Senate amends supplemental appropriation bill
The fiscal year 2017 supplemental appropriations have yet to pass the Senate after senators made several amendments to the bill in their session last Thursday.
Sen. Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) made the most number of amendments to Rep. Angel A. Demapan’s (R-Saipan) House Bill 20-147, followed by Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan) and Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota).
Hofschneider moved around large chunks of the $24-million appropriation bill, including allocating $878,000 for Tinian Elementary School parking lot renovations.
“Although there is allocation for this project of $630,000, [PSS] used federal funds,” said Hofschneider, referring to a loan PSS made with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I feel that it is much quicker to expedite the project using this funding source,” adding that he has consulted with PSS. The latter reportedly agreed.
Hofschneider bumped up land compensation judgment obligations to the Manglona v CNMI judgment from $1 million to $4 million. He said this will reduce the daily interest of about $600. The $3 million came from the House allocation for land compensation funds appropriated for secondary roads on Saipan.
Hofschneider also took $30,000 each from allocations to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the Office of Planning and Development and diverted it to the Department of Lands and Natural Resources for rhino beetle infestation prevention measures on Tinian, Saipan, and the Northern Islands.
Igisomar cut $50,000 each from DCCA and the Office of Planning and Development as well to bump up the Northern Marianas Trades Institute’s allocation to $375,000.
Manglona, on the other hand, amended the legislation to define land compensations as used in the bill.
H.B. 20-147, HS1, HD1, SD4 heads to the House for review and action. If the House chooses to reject the changes, both chambers would go into conference committee to negotiate a compromise.
