First, the House Standing Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations has rescheduled its meeting (originally set for last Friday, but postponed due to the House session) to today, Monday, April 28 @ 2pm in the Speaker’s Conference Room. 

Second, the Saipan delegation PUTC has rescheduled its meeting (also set for last Friday at the same time) to this Wednesday, April 30 @ 2pm in the Speaker’s Conference Room. 

Third, as a reminder, the State of the Commonwealth Address and the State of the Washington Office Report are scheduled for this Friday, May 2, at the Multipurpose Center beginning at 9am. 

Finally, the first quarterly State of the Legislature public forum has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 7 in the Multipurpose Center Annex Room, starting at 6pm.  The forum was originally scheduled for April 29 but has been pushed to the following week due to the public hearings and State of the Commonwealth preparations scheduled this week in the same venue.  I will be providing a report on the activities of the 16th Legislature this first quarter, including status tables of legislation introduced thus far and voting and attendance records of legislators in both chambers.  

This public forum will also be an opportunity for members of the community to air their concerns on the pressing issues of the day (including CUC, the economy, and the need for reducing the size and cost of government), to comment on potential solutions that are being considered within the Legislature, and to offer their own ideas.  The forum will also be an opportunity for citizens to sign up to participate in the circulation of two popular initiatives: 1) to apply the Open Government Act to the Legislature (resuming the initiative drive that began last year); and 2) to downsize the Legislature.