Two bills introduced in an emergency legislative session called by the governor will have a public hearing before the regular session later this month.
The bills called for the expansion of the governor’s ability to declare and respond to emergencies, and authorized the governor to use American Rescue Plan money to install hospital infrastructure in Mangilao.
Senators gathered for a brief session Saturday, but rather than discussing the bills, they referred them to the Committee of Finance and Government Operations for a hearing.
Sen. Chris Dueñas moved to send the bills to the committee, which he chairs.
“Rushing these measures without hearing from the people would be irresponsible,” Dueñas said in a news release.
Public hearings will be scheduled for Sept. 12.
“I encourage every member of our community to participate, share their perspectives and make their voices heard,” Dueñas added. “The people of Guam deserve a seat at the table before any final decisions are made.”
After the session, governor’s spokesperson Krystal Paco-San Agustin said the bills were introduced after Speaker Frank Blas Jr. and other senators called on Adelup to make an emergency declaration addressing recent problems at Guam Memorial Hospital. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero's office said current emergency powers are inadequate to address the hospital’s problems, and introduced the legislation in response.
“It is a tragic failure of leadership for Speaker Blas to demand an emergency declaration at GMH and then send the Legislature into recess for a month,” Paco-San Agustin said. “After weeks of accepting amendments to the budget which had no public hearing at all, failing to even consider the very measures that could help GMH is an insult to the people of Guam. You don’t call something an emergency and then go into the equivalent of legislative vacation until the end of September.”
Session is set to begin Sept. 29.
