The Northern Marianas Senate and House Representatives are scrambling to come up with a compromise fiscal year 2021 budget bill after the chambers rejected each other's versions of the spending measure.
Photo: 123rf
As a result, the Senate and House are convening a conference committee to smoothen out their differences on the budget bill, which Governor Ralph Torres needs to sign before the start of the 2021 fiscal year on Thursday.
Represenatives have talked of the need to work through the night if need be.
If no budget bill is signed into law, the CNMI government would have to close its offices in accordance with the local Constitution.
Last Saturday the Senate passed its version in the budget bill that proposes almost $US96.5 million for the fiscal year.
That's $13.81 million more than the House had previously approved.
Last July, Governor Torres submitted a revised revenue projection of $US144.41 million with nearly $83 million approved for government appropriation.
CNMI Governor Ralp DLG Torres. Photo: Office of the Governor of CNMI