Senate Hearing on Inos, Smoke Free Air Act, May Day Rally, OGA Privilege Log & Kudos

Some announcements/observations this week:

1) Senate Session/Confirmation Hearing -- tomorrow, Friday, May 1 @ 9am in the Senate Chamber . The draft agenda is attached. Tomorrow's session will include the confirmation hearing for Mr. Eloy Inos, former Secretary of Finance, and newly appointed Lieutenant Governor. Members of the community are encouraged to submit oral or written testimony.

2) Call for Public Comments on Amendments to HB 16-47, Smoke Free Air Act -- A coalition of public health advocacy groups led by Mr. George Cruz (george_c@marianashealth.com ), including the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the Commonwealth Diabetes Coalition, Ayuda Network, Inc., Commonwealth Cancer Association and their partners, has launched a campaign urging concerned citizens to weigh in on the Smoke Free Air Act, HB 16-47 HD2, SD1 (attached in this email). The bill was passed in the House, amended in the Senate, and then returned to the House for action.

Senate amendments to the bill include:

Page 9, Sub-Section 3174 - reducing the minimum distance from a ventilated area (i.e., a window, door, or vent) from 25 feet to 15 feet)
Page 11 - creating a "Partial Exemption" to allow establishments to designate 10% of their indoor areas as a "Smoking Area" for a $2,000 Partial Exemption Fee
Page 12 - creating a "Full Exemption" for establishments to be 100% Smoking Allowed, for an annual $10,000 Full Exemption Fee

Comments may be submitted to Representative Ralph Torres, Chair of the House Committee on Health, Education & Welfare by email at saipan_pride@yahoo.com or rep.torresr@cnmileg.gov.mp or by fax to 664-8926 and to Senator Joseph Mendiola, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Welfare by email at senatormendiola@yahoo.com or by fax to 664-8876.

3) May Day Rally -- tomorrow, May 1 @ 6pm, Fishing Base. The purpose of the gathering is to call for the protection of long-term workers, Immediate Relatives (IRs), CNMI permanent residents, and their families during the federalization transition period, and improved immigration status in the long run. All are welcome to participate.

4) Privilege log in Open Government Act lawsuit filed in Superior Court on April 24, 2009 -- The privilege log and attachment are included in this email.

And finally:

5) Kudos to all who helped bring the Villagomez and Santos case to justice, and especially the whistleblowers, investigators, auditors, prosecutors, witnesses, jurors, and judge. We owe these outstanding citizens and public servants a debt of gratitude for the role they played in restoring our confidence in the rule of law, and reinvigorating our commitment to honest government in the commonwealth. May we all find the courage and conscience to stand up for good governance and speak out against public corruption wherever and whenever we see it.

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