LAWMAKERS ALLOWANCE PASSED BY SENATE

In a unanimous vote of 12-0, the Senate on Thursday passed in final reading a Senate bill, which increases by $10,000 across the board, office allowance for all members of the Fono. The measure now goes to the House for consideration.

Current law states that each member of the Senate and House get $30,000 annually, while the Senate President and House Speaker each receive $40,000 annually. If the bill is enacted, each member of the Senate and House will see their office allowance hiked to $40,000 while the Senate President and House Speaker will each receive $50,000.

Senate President Gaoteote Palaie Tofau reminded senators that money is already allocated in the Fono’s fiscal year 2015 budget to fund the proposed increases and no other additional money is needed.

During a Senate committee review of the bill early this week, it was revealed that the Fono’s FY 2015 budget has an increase of about $600,000 for operations and a portion of this money will cover increases in the office allowance, which according to local law, is used for the purpose of defraying expenses relating to, or resulting from, the discharge of their official duties.

BILL TO REMOVE RETIREMENT AGE STIPULATION FOR TEMP-JUDGES

A Senate bill, which seeks to remove the age limit for temporary associate judges of the High Court, was passed Wednesday by senators in a 12-0 vote and now in the House for review and consideration.

A provision of current statute says that temporary associate judges - who are subject to Senate confirmation only - shall be removed from the panel upon attaining the age of 70, but this provision of the law will be deleted if the Senate bill is enacted into law.

During a Senate debate of the bill early this week Sen. Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono - one of the bill’s sponsor - says that wisdom comes with age and this is very true when it comes to judges who sit on the bench making important decisions.

Sen. Nua Saoluaga sought further explanation on Soliai’s statement, saying that he believes when a person gets older, that individual is no longer in the best of health and gets restless on the bench, during long court proceedings.

Soliai responded that a judge’s thinking and wise decision making comes at an old age. He also says that at an older age, a judge has a better understanding of a lot of issue and therefore is much wiser.

He then pointed out that currently the associate justice is 84-years old (referring to Lyle Richmond), and many years ago, American Samoa’s chief justice reached the age of 90.  Additionally an associate judge on the bench is over 80-years old, said Soliai.

REPS TOLD THEY CAN HONOR 9/11 VICTIMS BEST BY DOING THEIR WORK

Manu’a Rep. Toeina Faufano Autele during the House regular session earlier this week asked the Speaker of the House if the Fono could take a holiday on September 11, 2014 in memory of those who died on that date in 2001.

He explained over 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 attacks in New York City,  Washington, D.C.— including more than 400 police officers and firefighters. Toeina said this is an opportunity to show the Fono honoring them on this sad day.

House speaker Savali Talavou Ale thanked Toeina for his impressions of 9/11; however, he said that the Fono could also honor the memories of those who died on the 9/11 by convening the Fono to do its regular work on that day.