By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Sen. Telo Taitague vowed to revive a proposal that would force punctual submissions of financial reports to the Office of Public Accountability, following a second failed attempt to override the governor’s veto of her bill.
“I hoped that with the passage of time, my colleagues in the legislature would come to see the necessity of the provisions of Bill 213-37. Unfortunately, many did not,” Taitague said.
Bill 213-37 sought to penalize delinquent agency directors tasked with submitting financial reports.
The legislature defeated the first veto-override attempt in April.
The legislature unanimously approved the bill, but Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero thumbed it down, describing it as “politically driven" and "fundamentally flawed from both a logical policy perspective and even a commonsense perspective.”
“It is frustrating and disappointing those senators who initially voted for the bill thought it was needed until the governor disagreed,” Taitague said Monday.
“When they thought for themselves, the bill was a good idea. Then the governor thought for them,” she added.
Bill 213-37 failed to garner the required 10 votes for a successful override.
Voting against the override were Sens. Christopher Dueñas, Thomas Fisher, William Parkinson, Dwayne San Nicolas, and Amanda Shelton. Absent from voting was Vice Speaker Tina Muña Barnes and Sen. Joe San Agustin.
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