GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios on Wednesday last week appointed former Rep. Alvaro Santos and Tinian businessman Phillip Mendiola-Long to the Marianas Public Lands Trust s board of trustees.
THE Democrat-Independent-led House Committee on Ways and Means has decided not to act on House Joint Resolution 22-13 which will authorize the Marianas Public Land Trust to administer a $15
UNSUPPORTED by facts and history.
This is how the Marianas Public Land Trust described Senate Legislative Initiative 22-5, which proposes to give the governor and the Legislature oversight and appropriation powers over MPLT.
Authored by Senate Vice President Justo Quitugua, S.L.I. 22-5 would ârequire MPLT and its board of trustees to exercise transparency and accountability as a Commonwealth government entity, to provide for reasonable expenses of administration by law, and to require the annual operating budget of the trust to be approved and appropriated by the Legislature.â
S.L.I. 22-5 states that âthe governor and the Legislature must have oversight powers over MPLT in order to ensure that the trustees actions are made consistent with their fiduciary duties and in the best interest of the Commonwealth and the people.â