Guam Senators moved a bill to rebuild Simon Sanchez High School to the inactive file Wednesday, abruptly ending a special session called by the governor earlier this week.
Bill 1-8S would have allowed construction of the school to begin despite an ongoing procurement protest.
Discussion on the measure lasted throughout Tuesday and was supposed to resume Wednesday morning, but Sen. Chris Dueñas announced that after discussions with Adelup, the bill would not go forward.
Senators had raised a number of questions about the construction contract, and they requested documents from the Department of Public Works. Sen. Chris Barnett asked Dueñas about the status of those requests Wednesday morning.
“I do not believe it’s productive to continue with anything with regard to this session and the bill,” Dueñas said. “Where we’re at right now is, this bill will not go forward in this session. This session will be over and the bill will be dead.”
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said she conferred with Speaker Frank Blas Jr., and they agreed that public hearings would allow the community greater opportunity for input.
She said Blas told her that the legislature would move forward with Bill 314-38, an identical bill introduced by the lieutenant governor May 5.
In September, the governor’s office announced the construction management contract for the school would be awarded to Core Tech International. A groundbreaking was set for November, but it was delayed after a procurement protest was filed by General Pacific Services, the second-ranked bidder.
Both bills declare that the school reconstruction project is necessary to provide a safe and stable environment for students.
Under Guam law, projects are paused during procurement protests, but the measures would allow the work to continue while the protest is being heard by the Office of Public Accountability.
On Monday, the governor released a video message saying that if the procurement collapses, the government may be forced to cancel the process, "and begin from scratch after 13 years and millions already spent."
In the video, she said the special session would require senators to make a choice: "move this project forward now or choose to begin again from ground zero. I know where I stand and believe me, the people of Guam do, too."
