Rivera Schatz warns he won’t allow ‘a Vatican’ structure in permits reform.

 Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz

By THE STAR STAFF

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz warned on Monday that he will not allow the supremacy clause included in the administration’s bill regarding permits, arguing that it concentrates excessive power and could nullify other laws, regulations, licenses and municipal decisions.

“There is a concern raised -- isn’t there? -- and there is a doubt that troubles us; for while it speaks of delegating regulatory authority to certain figures so they may regulate more or less as they see fit -- right? -- something we will not allow. There is a supremacy clause here,” Rivera Schatz said during a Senate public hearing on the bill.

During the same exchange with the President of the United Retailers Center, Ramón Barquín, the Senate leader added that the bill’s language would transform the proposed structure into an entity with almost absolute authority.

“This is a Vatican; it is being created like a Vatican,” Rivera Schatz said. “We have yet to see who will be the pope and the bishops.”

Barquín partially agreed with that assessment during the hearing.

“I concur that there is a level of control -- I would say almost total control,” he said.

Later, in a press conference, Rivera Schatz reiterated his objection to the scope of that particular provision.

“The supremacy clause states that any other law, license, certification, or procedure is rendered subordinate,” he said.

The Senate president insisted that the language on that matter would not remain intact in the final version that the legislative body might approve.

“We are going to review the bill, from page 1 to page 823, with due diligence; we are going to do things properly, and we will not allow any deviations or let anyone try to pull the wool over our eyes,” he said.