These are the two major piece of legislation discussed in the Senate yesterday.
CHARTER BANK LEGISLATION
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee heard testimonies from government officials on a bill that would allow the government to set up the charter bank — named the Territorial Bank of American Samoa. While there was support of the bill from some senators, others also cautioned the government to trend carefully into getting such financial institution up and running until all pros and cons are thoroughly review. The Territorial Bank of American Samoa, or TBAS, “will serve as the government’s bank, as well as accept deposits from and make loans to the community at large,” Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga says.The governor said the tentative schedule for opening of the bank is June this year, but this schedule is dependent on the approval of legislation allowing the government to set up the Charter Bank, which will fill the void left behind when Bank of Hawai’i finally closed down all operations in the territory.
The House has an identical Charter Bank bill which will be a subject of a committee hearing next Tuesday.

Questions: 1.) Do you support the bill to set up the charter bank? Why? 2.) How do you think this bank will benefit the people in our district? 3.) People don’t seem to understand that if this bank does open, and they make deposits their money won’t be insured. How do you think our community will look at that? 4.) Given the history of the Government running banks like DBAS, do you think the government is able to run a local bank on island?

PESTICIDES
The Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimonies from officials of the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture Department on legislation to incorporate federal pesticide provisions, into local laws setting regulations on the use of pesticides by local farmers. The governor says the safety of locally grown produce is of utmost importance especially since most of the produce is consumed by the children through the school lunch program. By approving this bill, which has support from senators, the governor says it would serve as a guideline to which the farmers must adhere when treating crops with pesticides, as well as providing the territory with the mechanism by which to measure the safety of food prepared for human consumption. The House has an identical version of the bill.
Questions:
1.) What will you do to help to push this bill all the way through? 2.) What are your thoughts on to incorporate federal pesticide provisions, into local laws setting regulations on the use of pesticides by local farmers? 3.) Where they are farming locally grown produce right across from the Golf Course, you think it will harm or affect the health and environment for the people of our district? 4.) Where are they aiming this bill to? The Asians? 5.) The Asians are using illegal chemicals/poison to spray their crops, and these are the produce that the children eat everyday that’s being prepared by the school lunch, can this be prevented in our district?