During a classroom visit to the Northern Mariana Islands legislature, House Speaker Edmund Villegomez said lawmakers are pursuing industry diversification — including courting manufacturing investors, expanding the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority's marketing role and exploring free-trade zones — to reduce the commonwealth’s heavy reliance on tourism.

"In the legislature, this is where the law making process starts," Villegomez said, explaining the House’s lead role on appropriations. He said the House has met with the governor and outside investors and has recently discussed semiconductor manufacturing as one potential new industry.

Villegomez described several obstacles to bringing visitors back and to attracting investors. He said some charter flights from Hong Kong stopped after federal actions and unclear implementation of new rules, creating delays in permit approvals for travelers. "We wrote a letter to the governor to have him look into the issue," Villegomez said, adding that turnaround times that were once a matter of hours have stretched and in some cases "no action" has been taken.

Lawmakers also discussed the local casino and internet-gaming sectors. Villegomez said a casino asset sale was being negotiated at a steep discount — "I think you're looking about 12 to $14,000,000 when that investment is close to half a billion dollars already," he said — and that legal disputes and a recent gubernatorial veto of a local internet-gaming bill have complicated efforts to stabilize that industry. He did not specify the buyer, the asset list or the bill citation.

On marketing and investment promotion, Villegomez said the former Commonwealth Development Authority was amended and renamed the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority to take on a stronger investment-marketing role alongside the Marianas Visitors Authority. He also said legislators have discussed a free-trade zone to attract businesses but cautioned that tax terms and eligible industries would determine interest.

Villegomez and other representatives emphasized that tourism remains the commonwealth’s largest industry. "Tourism will always be our our main thing," he said, while noting efforts to expand types of tourism — such as educational and business travel — and to attract investment that could create year-round jobs and additional air service.

Lawmakers urged students to watch how external policies and markets affect local planning. Villegomez said the House wrote to the governor seeking clarity on the travel-permit process and that the legislature is coordinating with the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority to pursue investors and evaluate incentive tools.

Clarifying details discussed by legislators included the existing structure of the marketing and development agencies, the existence of negotiations and legal disputes in the casino sector, and that reported dollar figures for asset sales and investments were presented as approximations rather than finalized transactions. No formal votes or ordinance adoptions were recorded during the classroom visit.