The governor of the Northern Marianas has vetoed a bill that would have required elected officials to undergo mandatory drug tests, saying it is unconstitutional.
In his bill, Christopher Leon Guerrero proposed that testing be done annually and randomly by the Civil Service Commission, with the results made public.
The Marianas Variety reports that if an elected official refused or failed, their salary and benefits would be suspended until they returned a negative result.
But the governor, Eloy Inos, says the measures violate the constitutional rights of elected officials, and are otherwise vague and problematic.
Mr Inos says there is no need for drug testing because there hasn't been a problem with elected officials abusing illegal drugs in the past.
