My apologies for not posting this earlier — there was a Ways and Means meeting yesterday at 1:30pm in the House Chamber.  On the agenda was the cover-over issue, the budget, and two bills, H.B. 16-1 to amend the Commonwealth Code to take into account the recently enacted Rota Casino Initiative; and H.B. 16-3, to amend the Commonwealth Code to earmark Gross Receipts Taxes collected from gambling establishments in Rota so they may be appropriated by the Saipan and Northern Islands delegation.  Both bills were introduced by Rep. Vic Hocog of Rota. 
 
Two additional bills were added to the agenda at yesterday’s meeting: H.B. 16-2, to more equitably reallocate poker license fees to each senatorial district, introduced by Rep. Vic Hocog,  and H.B. 16-7, to include the electrical system upgrade for the Tinian Junior and Senior High School under funding that had been appropriated by Public Law 12-69, introduced by Rep. Edwin Aldan of Tinian.  All bills introduced passed in the committee.
 
Budget discussions will continue during today’s Ways and Means Committee meeting, Friday, February 15, at 2pm in the House Chamber.