SPEAKER Eli D. Cabrera, House Minority Leader Diego T. Benavente and Rep. Froilan C. Tenorio all agree that the time is ripe for the CNMI government to have a part-time Legislature.
For Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, the Constitutions provision requiring members of the lawmaking body to meet 90 days in a year implies that the legislators really work part-time.
œBut of course that is not what we are doing right now, said Tenorio who recently stepped down from the speakership.
A former senator, Washington representative and governor, Tenorio said a part-time Legislature will not necessarily operate part-time.
But legislators will meet 90 days a year only although they will continue to work full-time.
Cabrera, R-Saipan, said the thought of having part-time legislators has been brought up numerous times in the past. He said he is going to support it.
Cabrera recalled that back in the 1970s when his father, Juan Leon Guerrero Cabrera, was a legislator, the Legislature worked part-time.
œIf they did that back then, we can do that today, Cabrera said, adding that being a part-time legislator does not mean less work.
The excellent thing about being a part-time legislator, he said, is that œyou can really focus on what to do about a particular issue.
A part-time legislator can do research for weeks and should be adequately prepared when session time comes, he added.
Currently, he said, lawmakers usually have to do their œhomework today for the session tomorrow.
œIn a part-time Legislature, you know that theres a session coming up in the next two months so you can prepare yourself every single day even at home. Even if you work with a private company you can still focus on the issue, so you are going to make yourself ready when the regular session comes, Cabrera added.
Benavente, R-Saipan, does not believe that the Constitution already implies a part-time Legislature, but he supports a part-time Legislature.
The former speaker and lt. governor said if the state of Oregon, which has a much larger population and government, can survive with a part-time legislature œwhy cant we?
He also noted that in Oregon, the part-time legislators are paid only for the time they really meet.
During the first few years of the CNMI government, Benavente said the commonwealth needed a full-time Legislature because it had to make new laws.
œBut after more than 30 years, I dont reckon it is necessary to continue to have a full-time Legislature, he said.
Benavente said a legislative initiative should be passed by lawmakers so that voters can choose on the part-time Legislature proposal.
He also wants the constitutional provision on the salary of lawmakers as well as the number of legislative seats changed.
Benavente said House seats can be reduced from 20 to 15.
Article source: http://www.mvariety.com/2011012433711/local-news/its-time-for-a-part-time-legislature.php
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