Governor Arnold Palacios delivers his first State of the Commonwealth Address

Governor Arnold Palacios presented his First State of the Commonwealth Address on May 28. This was the first joint legislative session of the 24th Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.

Governor Palacios began his speech by describing the State of the Commonwealth as “could be better.” He called the will and determination of the Northern Mariana Islands “stubborn.”

“For the past two years, good, hard-working people have been doing all they can to restore trust, dignity, integrity, and hope in the Northern Marianas,” Palacios stated. “We have focused on long-term solutions that will benefit everyone and not just a few.”

He continued to emphasize that the state of the commonwealth is “getting better.” This is because they “are making it better” through four different categories.

“We developed and executed a very clear plan to stabilize our finances, make our communities safer, healthier, and cleaner, rebuild our infrastructure, and, most importantly, revitalize our economy,” Palacios stated.

When mentioning successes, Governor Palacios clarified that they “finally achieved a balanced budget” by the end of fiscal year 2024.

“None of this was easy, and we still have a long way to go,” Governor Palacios stated. “But, as you can see, despite the financial devastation caused when we came, we cleaned up the mess, and we did our best to get our financial house back in order.”

Looking to the future, the governor explained how hard it will be to go through fiscal year 2026. He listed budget concerns and unpopular tax reforms as two examples. However, he had his own response to those concerns.

“I think it’s time to stop picking on the hardworking public servants who work in our government because they deserve better,” Governor Palacios stated.

The address featured videos from public servant workers in various positions. Governor Palacios outlined his successes and goals using the videos as further evidence. He focused on the four different areas he previously mentioned.

“Together, we are not just catching up—we are leading,” Governor Palacios stated. “The investments we make today are building a stronger, smarter, and more connected Commonwealth for generations to come.”

He then dived into a description of his plans for addressing tourism drops by diversifying the approach “with a very targeted strategy.” The Marianas Visitors Authority will take five strategic steps to “drive sustainable growth, strengthen our global brand, and enrich the visitor journey with authentic experiences, engaging attractions, and cultural immersion.”

The governor also recalled his efforts to rebuild relationships with federal, regional, and national partners. He determined that the Northern Mariana Islands “cannot do this alone.”

 “We are not just asking for help: we are building genuine, strategic partnerships that lift up families today and lay the foundation for a brighter future,” Governor Palacios stated.

He ended the First State of the Commonwealth Address with a refocus on three values: sacrifice, public service, and hard work.

“We need to return to a state where we sacrifice instant gratification in favor of long-term sustainability,” Governor Palacios stated. “ We need to return to a state where our government serves the entire public, and not just a few private interests. And we need to return to a state where instead of falling for easy, quick fixes, we put in the hard work that it’s going to take to make our Commonwealth better for our people today and better for generations to come.”