Second Payless Payday Looms

Government workers should brace for another payless payday. The Governor's Office has announced that this Friday’s government payroll will be delayed. The Governor's Press Secretary says the lack of cash flow has led to insufficient funds once again to pay employees. He says paper checks will be issued as soon as enough cash becomes available, though there's no telling when exactly that will be. This time the shortfall comes after the Commonwealth released about 1.6 million dollars for scholarship recipients. Similar to June 18th's payless payday, emergency workers can expect to get paid. That includes police, doctors, nurses, and the Department of Corrections. The Public School System, Northern Marianas College, and federally–funded positions are also exempt.

Senate Passes Budget Bill

The Senate has approved the contentious budget bill with several changes from the House's version. The 132 million dollar bill which passed the Senate during their Friday session on Tinian keeps the discretionary funding for each law maker at 86 thousand dollars. That's down from 130 million included in the House bill. More funds are allocated to the Public School System, Northern Marianas College, and the Judiciary. Another significant change: an 8 hour reduction per pay period for government workers. That's down from the 16 hour slash proposed by the House and the governor. Senators say they hope to make up the difference with revenue generating measures added to the bill. These include increasing taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and poker fees. And also on junk food that can lead to obesity. Now it's back to House for them to decide whether or not to approve the Senate's bill. If they don't, both houses will come together in a conference committee. They must come to an agreement to prevent a government shut–down before the October 1st deadline.