SEVENTH KSL FIFTH REGULAR SESSION

Fifth Regular Session 

by cmt

 

The Seventh Kosrae State Legislature is ready to open its Fifth Regular Session on Monday, February 12, 2001 at 10:00 a.m.  It is mandated by law that the Legislature opens the first regular session of each year on the second Monday of February.

The mandate requires that the Legislature hold two regular sessions each year.  It further requires the Legislature to hold each session in 30 consecutive days, Sundays not included.  This session’s agenda depends primarily on Standing Committee work.  It is expected that each Standing Committee would dispose of certain measures with a deadline during this session.

This session is the first regular session for the Seventh Kosrae State Legislature after its reorganization in January.  Speaker Shrew will preside over the session with Senator Lyndon Jackson leading the session as the new Floor Leader.

 

Performance Budgeting Workshop

by cmt

 

            Governor Rensley Sigrah and other top officials of the Kosrae State Government are in Sunnyvale, California this week to attend a Performance Based Budget (PBB) workshop.  With Governor Sigrah are Vice Speaker Patterson Benjamin, Senator Palikun Shrew, Director Henry Robert, and Kosrae State Attorney General Ronald P. Bickett.

            The workshop is conducted for the FSM National Government and her four States.  The Sunnyvale workshop idea came from the advice of the USDA team of consultants that has been contracted to put into practice in the FSM the performance based budgeting concept.

            Last year, the concept of performance budgeting became a project for the FSM National Government and the four states in the Federation.  The National Government and the four states had proposed and were granted a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance the establishment of the PBB concept in the five governments.

            During October 2000, the inception of the project took place in Palikir with a PBB workshop.  During the workshop, the project consultants suggested an on-site visit to one of the leading institutions known for its accomplishment on performance budgeting.  Sunnyvale was selected not only because of its known success with performance budgeting, but primarily because its City Manager, Mr. Tom Lewcock, is also a consultant for the FSM’s PBB project.  Lewcock is one of the pioneers of performance budgeting.

     The Sunnyvale workshop is geared toward providing a first hand view of how performance budgeting operates.  The Kosrae Delegation is scheduled to return on the third week of February.

 

Former Microsoft Employee Holds Computer Training  by amn

 

            The Legislature was among the fortunate offices to be trained by a visitor on the island.  Mr. Chris Casella trained and enlightened the Members of the Kosrae State Legislature and their staff about computers and access to the Internet.  As a former employee of Microsoft Inc., Mr. Chris Casella was well equipped to provide computer training.

            Kosrae has been blessed with such visitors like Mr. Casella and his family.

 

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

by cbw

 

      Three measures seeking to amend the State Constitution have kept the Standing Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations on its feet and working in these past few weeks.  After holding a series of public hearings in the municipalities, the Committee met on Thursday last week and labored on.

            At the call of J&GO Committee Chairman James R. Palsis, the members assembled in the legislative chambers to examine the resolutions.  The members attending the meeting were Vice Chairman Albert Welly, Senator Carson Sigrah, Senator Semeon Phillip, and Senator Thurston Siba.  The only member absent was Vice Speaker Patterson Benjamin who was off-island on an important mission with other State leaders.  Senator John Martin joined and contributed to the deliberations.

            Briefly, these three resolutions, if adopted by the Legislature and further adopted by the people, would eliminate municipal governments in the State, reduce the number of Senators from fourteen to ten (one Senator per every 1,000 persons or fraction thereof), and abolish the term limitation set for members of the Legislature.

            In the public hearings held in the municipalities, the Committee was peppered with an abundance of supporting as well as opposing comments.  The proposal to nullify municipal governments was clearly the least popular.

     The members of the Committee vigilantly acted on the measures and decided its recommendations.  Its actions and recommendations will be reported in the Fifth Regular Session.

 

Senators: To Be Elected At-large?

by llg

 

            The Legislature, during its July Special Session, adopted a resolution proposing to amend Article IV, Section 2 of the Kosrae State Constitution.  Section 2 mandates that Senators are elected to office by the electoral districts from which they run.  The proposed amendment, if ratified, would require that Senators are to be elected by all registered voters of the State.

            It appears now that the resolution which proposed the amendment is not going out for referendum.  After receiving the resolution, the Governor noticed that the code was not clear as to the process of calling a special election for purposes of a referendum.  That prompted the Legislature to introduce and pass a bill setting out the process. 

            According to the legislative counsel, since the enabling act became law after the adoption of the proposed amendment, it does not apply retroactively to the original resolution.  As such, the Legislature has three options if they still want to send the proposed amendment out for referendum: (1) amend the enabling act by inserting a provision which would make it apply retroactively to the original resolution; (2) reintroduce and repass the resolution which proposed the constitutional amendment or (3) pass a new law requiring a special election to be held on the original resolution.

 

Seventh KSL Mid-term Reorg

by jal

 

            On January 8, 2001 at 10:00 a.m. in its chamber, the Legislature met in a special session to reorganize.

            In the first round of nominations for the Office of the Speaker were candidate Senator Palikun M. Shrew of Malem, candidate Senator Semeon J. Phillip of Malem, and incumbent-Speaker, Senator Hiteo S. Shrew, also of Malem.  Immediately after the first round, candidate Senator Palikun M. Shrew moved to withdraw his name from the ballot.  After the votes were cast, incumbent-Speaker, Senator Hiteo S. Shrew, received 11 votes, candidate Senator Semeon J. Phillip received 2 votes, and write-in candidate Senator Reedson P. Abraham of Lelu received 1 vote. Receiving a majority of the votes, Senator Hiteo S. Shrew will continue to hold the top office as Speaker for the Seventh Kosrae State Legislature for the remaining two years of this term.

            For the Office of the Vice Speaker, Senator Steven J. Sigrah of Lelu, Senator Palikun M. Shrew, incumbent-Vice Speaker Senator Patterson B. Benjamin of Utwe, and Senator Thurston K. Siba of Lelu were nominated. Once again, candidate Senator Palikun M. Shrew withdrew his name from the ballot.  In the tabulation, candidate Senator Steven J. Sigrah received 4 votes, incumbent-Vice Speaker Senator Patterson B. Benjamin received 8 votes, and candidate Senator Thurston K. Siba received 2 votes. Once again Senator Patterson B. Benjamin was to officially continue to hold the post as Vice Speaker for the remaining term of the 7th Kosrae State Legislature.

            For the Office of the Floor Leader, nominated were candidate Senator Thurston K. Siba, incumbent-Floor Leader Senator Albert T. Welly of Lelu and candidate Senator Lyndon H. Jackson of Tafunsak.  Immediately before the second round, candidate Senator Thurston K. Siba withdrew his name from the ballot.  After counting of the votes cast, incumbent-Floor Leader Senator Albert T. Welly received 4 votes and candidate Senator Lyndon H. Jackson received 10 votes.  New-comer Senator Lyndon H. Jackson will serve for the remainder of this term as Floor Leader.

 

Naming a Building after the late Royal Gifford by jal

 

            A letter received by Speaker Hiteo S. Shrew dated January 22, 2001, solicited the Legislature’s cooperation and effort in naming one of the buildings under the Department of Education in memory of the late Mr. Royal Gifford from Florida.

            The late Mr. Royal Gifford lived on the island in the late 1960’s where his duties were to supervise and oversee both secondary and intermediate schools in Kosrae. He passed away on March 16, 2000 at his home in Ft. Myers, Florida at the age of 86.

            His great contribution to Kosraeans’ educational well-being continues with the establishment of “The Shrew Jonas-Royal Gifford Scholarship” fund for Kosrean students. In this regard, the Seventh Kosrae State Legislature adopted a resolution on April 11, 2000, expressing its appreciation for the late Mr. Gifford’s past services.

            The Department of Education has suggested naming one of its buildings after him and has suggested the following.  Which do you think is better - Royal Gifford High School; Royal Giffoord Classroom; Royal Gifford Building or Royal Gifford Multi-Purpose Building?

            This matter was assigned to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs for comment.

 

MPC by llg

 

            Office lun Speaker tu eis “annual report” se sin Micronesia Petroleum Corporation (MPC) ke malem January 2001 oana ke akwuki ke pusren Section 7.1311(3) ke masap lun an Kosrae.  Report se inge srumun ma pus ke mukuikui lun company se inge ke year 2000. 

            Oana ke tukakinyuk sel Lt. Governor Gerson Jackson, Chairman lun MPC Board of Directors, pa inge pal se omeet report se inge orekla in fwasr fal nuke pusren masap.  In wi orala wo lun Board a Management lun MPC in uke pusren masap, report se inge srumun tu arulana yok mukuila lun mwet kol in company se inge in nawela elya yok ma oasr ke pal se inge ke year tari a.  Sramsramkin naweyuk inge a inmasrlon ma pus, company se inge tu sefiya $2.5M (million dollars) ke operation cost la ke year sa, su tu oasr $10.4M budgeted.  Report se inge fwakkin pa la company u tu sun orek profit ke malem October a November ke year 2000.

            A mwe finsrak yok lasr mwet Kosrae, tu MPC in ku in sruokya oiya wo inge a in sifwil kampare in tia tui ke naweyuk eneneyuk in use finsrak yok ma tu sramteak company se inge a.

            Oinge, KSL Newsletter lungse wi mwet u kewa in fwak pusren kulo a srui nusin mwet kol ke MPC ku staff nukewa lalos ke orala wowo ke year se tari.

 

Public Hearing lun J&GO

by cbw

           

            Committee lun J&GO tu forfor nu in mura Kosrae in suk kasru lun mwet u ke kutu lwemlwem in masap yorolos.

            Ke sripen Governor Rensley Sigrah el tu sang administrative leave nu sin employees lal in wi public hearing oru panang pus mwet ma wi ke kais sie mura.

            Ke public hearing inge pus mwet ma fwakak nunak lalos in kasru lwemlwem ma suk in nawu Constitution lun an Kosrae.  Sie naweyuk an suk in sisla municipal government in wanginla, sie naweyuk an suk in akpuyela pusen members ke Legislature (in orala mu member se aol mwet 1,000) a naweyuk se lula an suk in folokonla in wangin term limit lun member se. Pukantwen pusra lain a pus pa pusra akkeye lwemlwem ingan.

            Pa inge pusen mwet (approximate) ma wi public hearing lun Committee ke  kais sie mura. 

 

            Utwe                50 mukul          20 mutan

            Malem              60 mukul           10 mutan

            Tafunsak          80 mukul           15 mutan

            Lelu                  90 mukul           18 mutan

            Walung             35 total

           

            Issues inge kewa a report out ke regular session se inge a debated la a fwasr ku a anwuki.   Panang srakna ikakla nu sin mwet u in tia tui in lolngok a tafwela kasru la nuke lwemlwem inge.  Mwet se lungse kasru an ku in pangon members ke Committee lun J&GO, ku oana sie member lun Legislature a staff lalos.

 

New Legislative Directives

by amn

 

            Speaker Hiteo Shrew issued five new Administrative Directives.  The Speaker established these new policies to strengthen and ensure the efficient flow of duties and responsibilities entrusted in the Legislature.

            The five additional Administrative Directives are: Administrative Directive No. 25, Proofreading of Session Agenda Items; No. 26, Use of KSL Vehicle; No. 27, Overtime Procedure; No. 28, Absence on Session Days; and No. 29, Use of Legislative Computers for Personal Business.

 

Briefs...

by cbw

 

            - What do you know about the lawsuit filed at the Guam Superior Court, Docket No. CV 707-00 by Richard Reddy against Andrew Blum, Ronald Bickett, Gerson Jackson, and the Micronesia Petroleum Corporation?  Late last year, in November, the Committee on J&GO investigated as to who is paying the cost for representation.  According to Acting Attorney General at that time, Mr. Paul J. Simonett, costs incurred in the defense of then-Attorney General Blum and then-Assistant Attorney Bickett (current AG) should be paid by the State.  What is the status of this case?  Has it been settled, disposed of, or will the State set aside funding?

 

            - What do you know of the refusal of the National Government to pay the five percent transaction tax levied by the State of Kosrae?  The National Government declined to pay this tax because, as they say, Kosrae State would have an unfair advantage over other states “in contravention of the National Constitution.”  Should we revisit our laws or go to court? 

 

            - What do you know about the upcoming FSM ConCon election?  Will there be a forum or something to let the voters know of each candidate’s platform? 

 

Seventh Kosrae State Legislature

 

Presiding Officers

     Hiteo S. Shrew, Speaker

     Patterson B. Benjamin, V/Speaker

     Lyndon H. Jackson, Floor Leader

 

Standing Committees

 

Com. on Education and Cultural Affairs

     Tatasy A. Sigrah, Chairman

     Carson K. Sigrah, V/Chairman

     Albert T. Welly, Member

     Lyndon H. Jackson, Member

     Palikun M. Shrew, Member

     Patterson B. Benjamin, Member

 

Com. on Health and Social Affairs

     Josaiah H. Saimon, Chairman

     Semeon J. Phillip, V/Chairman

     Lyndon H. Jackson, Member

     Reedson P. Abraham, Member

     Tatasy A. Sigrah, Member

     Patterson B. Benjamin, Member

 

Com. on Judiciary and Governmental Operations

     James R. Palsis, Chairman

     Albert T. Welly, V/Chairman

     Carson K. Sigrah, Member

     Semeon J. Phillip, Member

     Thurston K. Siba, Member

     Patterson B. Benjamin, Member

 

Com. on Resources and Development

     Reedson P. Abraham, Chairman

     John Martin, V/Chairman

     James R. Palsis, Member

     Semeon J. Phillip, Member

     Steven J. Sigrah, Member

     Patterson B. Benjamin, Member

 

Com. on Ways and Means

     Palikun M. Shrew, Chairman

     Steven J. Sigrah, V/Chairman

     John Martin, Member

     Josaiah H. Saimon, Member

     Thurston K. Siba, Member

     Patterson B. Benjamin, Member