LAWMAKER SAYS NOMINEES SHOULD GO THROUGH PROPER CONFIRMATION
PROCESS

REPRESENTATIVE Tina Sablan, who sits on the House Committee on
Judiciary and Governmental Operations, last week criticized the
confirmation process of nominees to government posts, saying that
proper procedures should be observed.

Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, called for a meeting with Kimberlyn King- Hinds,
a nominee for the Public Utilities Commission, together with PUC
members Viola Alepuyo and Kyle Calabrese on March 19.

Hinds' nomination was already confirmed by the Senate even before all
her documents were submitted and reviewed, Sablan noted.

"From my understanding, [Hinds] hasn't been called in from either
chamber, and in fact, she has been confirmed by the Senate before she
was able to give her drug test, which is a basic requirement" for
confirmation, Sablan said, adding that this situation "kind of
concerns me when it comes to [the] confirmation process."

Sablan said the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee
already came out with a report recommending Hinds'
confirmation.

"But there hadn't been a committee hearing on her confirmation,"
Sablan said. "I didn't sign the report."

She said it appears that some lawmakers are reluctant to screen the
credentials and backgrounds of nominees.

"For me the bottom-line is the confirmation process," she stated,
adding that there seems to be "some serious questions about past
confirmations" of previous nominees due to lack of legislative
hearings and insufficient documents that were needed prior to their
appointments.

Sablan said the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee
should review the contents and sufficiency of document and other
matters related to all government appointees.

The lawmaker at the same time recognizes "a sense of urgency" in the
case of PUC, which needs to have a quorum and start with its work.

Currently, PUC has only two members and three vacancies.

However, Sablan added, "considering the dire straits into which our
public utilities have fallen, it would seem to me that carefully
considering the backgrounds, qualifications, and capabilities of all
nominees would be just as important to ensuring the integrity and
effectiveness of the Public Utilities Commission as establishing a
quorum. Resumes, statements of financial interest, and drug test
results are only part of the picture we should be
considering."

She added, "I would like to stress that I have absolutely no axe to
grind with Ms. King-Hinds. For me, this is simply about taking our
jobs as legislators and the job of a public utilities commissioner
seriously enough to care about exercising due diligence in the
review of any PUC nomination."