[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6671258,"mediaKeyId","2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715","parentId",2171429,"title","Contentious floor debate as Legislature moves vetoed hospital bill into voting file","audioSeconds",6290,"startMs",2587000,"endMs",8877000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715&start=2587&end=8877","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715/thumbnail_2587000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6671258/Contentious-floor-debate-as-Legislature-moves-vetoed-hospital-bill-into-voting-file","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671258-7cc944cb0e6a3a922282af0974b64b11/orig.mp4?Expires=1770681083&Signature=edAvz4uxr4P1oVQhY9Wn0jCIOLAU03oxSHnAIljuzY~E5lcb4JZY9oQcgC3cC3VlpJhxSA8IJ~sxatgBb80spj8E4urE7D2s3Xt75m93DcW6l3cwznyiXc2Q~bCBmMkQqwSlQk3Diq7zS30FwDaEnfESHj1AqOyR8hu5nRWT0wyGqc7dBxSgY7wp9et7FqJe7lonpaATw738U6OdMOKu6MD40jPI3jIcRxKZlM-g~tmsVPrxYbBehXKmt2GeGl5dGqyKmJwq7-Nk8m53BAb2qHT7cqlm7pceOVM0Oc7pF50Y054VFGNS3-MT9jA-gGu0RLSIEYgmhyeIMdkuVjFbfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Guam - General Government Operations and Appropriations","date","2025-01-01T05:03:58.017Z","article","The 37th Guam Legislature debated whether to move forward with a vetoed measure that would require any new hospital built under the Guam 21st Century Healthcare Center Act of 2021 to be constructed at Epau (EPOW) Point. Senator Thomas Barnett (author of the motion on the floor) moved to place the vetoed Bill 185 (37th Guam Legislature) into the voting file despite objections from the administration and others; that motion to place the bill into the voting file carried on the floor.

The floor debate was sharply divided. Supporters of placing the bill on the voting file — including Senator Barnett and other sponsors — said the Legislature had previously acted, that a Matrix Design Group study and testimony from medical staff supported Epau Point as the most viable and timely site, and that the governor had shifted funds originally promised for the project. Senator Barnett said, “We need a new hospital and we need it now,” and argued the Legislature was preserving its prior decision and holding the executive to account for promised funds.

Opponents argued that the governor retains authority to select a site and that overriding the veto could stall or complicate construction and jeopardize existing federal or administrative plans. Senator Tom Fisher warned the chamber, “The 37th Guam Legislature will go down in history as the legislature that delayed the construction of a new hospital for the people of Guam by 2 years,” and urged colleagues not to override the governor’s veto. Other senators argued an override would endanger funding, risk litigation, and intensify partisan disputes.

Speakers on both sides also raised related governance issues: claims of insufficient transparency, disagreements over whether the governor had invited legislators into discussions, concerns about potential condemnation of private land for alternative sites, and questions about which agency or funding vehicle (including GEDA/GURA and ARP funds) would execute land purchases and infrastructure work.

Procedural action recorded on the floor: Senator Barnett moved to place the vetoed bill into the voting file despite objections of MAGAHOGA (as recorded on the floor). The motion carried and the bill was placed on the voting file for a future vote. The transcript records extensive floor debate and speakers’ positions; it does not contain the final override roll‑call or a final signature in the provided excerpts.

Quotes from medical organizations and clinicians were cited by supporters: Senator Barnett summarized written testimony from medical staff and clinics including testimony from the president of medical staff at Guam Memorial Hospital underscoring provider proximity to the existing hospital as a reason to favor Epau Point.

Next steps: the vetoed bill was placed on the voting file, meaning the Legislature will consider an override vote on a future schedule; supporters and opponents both warned of legal and fiscal consequences if the dispute is not resolved cooperatively.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","37th Guam Legislature Regular Session - December 16, 2024 PT.1","oneSentenceSummary","The Legislature debated and then placed a vetoed bill requiring a new hospital at Epau (EPOW) Point into the voting file after hours of divided floor remarks about site selection, funding and separation of powers.","taxTitle","General Government Operations and Appropriations\t, Legislative, Guam","taxId",18139,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6671263,"Legislature advances bill to purchase private land used as a Mahina drainage basin; payment and funding amended on floor",1178,583000,1761000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715&start=583&end=1761","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715/thumbnail_583000.jpg","/articles/6671263/Legislature-advances-bill-to-purchase-private-land-used-as-a-Mahina-drainage-basin-payment-and-funding-amended-on-floor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671263-b6d11ad88c77e7204a137f607e8acf78/orig.mp4?Expires=1770681083&Signature=X3oRZA04-5AjkBgixn0vjuBwAEBZ8qonoBBA4St4QcNix~MlnTGWx9-Xj6g1Kbb42K3M6xCQYZ2xUkl5ZAKGj-1mxui~YvjUsmIi2KM5FsB~CjPxABf0UOcVtP-CeYQtD70Se6ZuEQhsd3K8QGxnstEhQgcA1d0vk5mT-wcvoun1Oq-32oa1TVIrrdtpA3ToT3SsJndi-1aQRoRFRyJIJ74bZwr5gVchjjvSodMATJAg8Ot~tnC3Djuk4h3VgatUx6KDsnLveMQ9rQeLXOuMW3y9g6-Fwa~~FeoR1q~TbWJFSOiE9DO0A7gyUSv8z5g0VLvo9JodYSnJmayWY-4cuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sponsors moved Bill 337 (referred to in the text as Bill 33/337, 37th Guam Legislature) into the third‑reading file after floor amendments set a purchase price and funding source for private land being used as public drainage in the village of Mahina.

Senator Roy A.B. Kanata, the bill’s author, told colleagues the parcel — Lot 215‑2‑1‑2 in Mahina — has been used for drainage and a ponding basin for decades and that recent rains underscored the need to repair and upgrade the infrastructure. He said the owner had allowed the government to use the land without compensation and prefers a land purchase rather than a land exchange.

Senator Luis Duenas (identified on the floor as the affected property‑owner’s relative) told the chamber he would recuse himself from voting because the land would benefit his first cousin. “I am conflicted on this bill and I will be asking during voting to be recused from voting on this,” he said.

Speaker Therese Terlahi and others described changes made in committee and on the floor: the measure was amended from a land exchange to an outright purchase, and the Department of Public Works (DPW) performed an assessment that the floor cited as the basis for the purchase price. On the floor the speaker offered and the sponsor accepted an amendment to appropriate $87,300 from FY24 excess revenues (as enumerated in the Consolidated Revenue and Expenditure Report) to the Department of Public Works for the acquisition and to pay Mr. Luis Duenas no later than Jan. 2, 2025.

Senators described this as an instance of the government having long used private land for public purposes — a situation members said occurs in several villages — and argued that compensating owners is appropriate. Senator Joanne Brown and others spoke in support, describing the broader problem of government use of private parcels for roads and drainage without full compensation and noting maintenance and federal reimbursement complications when property ownership is unclear.

The author then renewed his motion to place the bill — as amended by committee and further amended on the floor — into the third‑reading file, and the motion to place the bill on the voting file carried on the floor. Senator Duenas stated he would seek recusal at the voting stage.

Next steps: the bill was scheduled for third reading and a vote; the transcript records floor amendments, the funding source and payment deadline, and the recusal intention but does not include the roll‑call vote on final passage.","Sponsors moved Bill 337 into the third‑reading file after floor amendments set the purchase price at $87,300 and directed payment no later than Jan. 2, 2025, from FY24 excess revenues for a parcel used as drainage in Mahina.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6671268,"Legislature advances bill to create clearer pathway for worker-led cooperatives",525,91000,616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715&start=91&end=616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715/thumbnail_91000.jpg","/articles/6671268/Legislature-advances-bill-to-create-clearer-pathway-for-worker-led-cooperatives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671268-55d28e1cc287cbf4a0a02578e62e912c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770681083&Signature=YLkDa6ZLPFce5apnznuSI0fEXFsX-1CZo5YF-MPb6cfiwDDDb1hJvsHsSlNtJltuCjWo4eptMw1O-W5siOTxM37bKfY4G9CaxGgP~pe3VXaMh6efaPBnp6Z4CY2BTl1gwraP8ZqmhHeOzJ21U4FbApUKo6EgTr2Pf2Sr4uym4hjRS6fQ9zriS2Wb~mLY2YqgyVaMoi3NG4WZ99WfnNZaWDB6MlAZzHhqqdXXqBw~tkldxzNbyBGmCCavWHo6oqrUc~D87Zy89qrelbfDHU8lv1MJJ-E~K53KUcP34gpisz0aiDwkgk3ovLenxFX6Aq6I3KCIHP58QRnfne0QBl4DrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The 37th Guam Legislature on the floor moved Bill 365 (37th Guam Legislature) into the third‑reading file after senators debated whether the bill would help restart Guam’s economy and expand opportunities for worker‑owned businesses.

Proponents said the measure would create a legal path for cooperatives and could help businesses recover faster after economic shocks. “I think this bill is critical to helping to restart our economy,” Senator Sabina Perez said on the floor. Senator William Parkinson added, “If there are some problematic areas in this bill, let’s handle them when they come about.”

Supporters told the Legislature they expect cooperatives to attract entrepreneurs seeking more resilient business models and said the bill would not affect existing cooperatives. In floor remarks, the sponsor noted committee and floor amendments and reiterated testimony that government economic development agencies — including the Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA) and the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) — expressed support during hearings.

Senators voted first to reconsider a failed second‑reading action related to the measure; the motion to reconsider carried and the subsequent motion to place Bill 365 into the third‑reading file carried without recorded objection. The motion to place the bill to third reading was described on the floor as “as amended by the committee and further amended on the floor.”

The bill’s sponsors and backers told colleagues they expect cooperative structures to appeal to some entrepreneurs while acknowledging the model is not for every business owner. The floor debate centered on whether the Legislature should advance the measure now and address specific drafting issues later in committee or with floor amendments.

Next steps: the bill will return for third‑reading consideration where its final text and any additional amendments will be considered before a final vote. No roll‑call or final passage on third reading was recorded in the transcript segment provided.","The 37th Guam Legislature on the floor moved Bill 365 (37th Guam Legislature) into the third‑reading file after senators debated whether the bill would help restart Guam’s economy and expand opportunities for worker‑owned businesses.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6671254,"Legislature advances two bills to realign and convert bull‑cart trails to public easements",268,9607000,9875000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715&start=9607&end=9875","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171429-0229e20d13f057b1b7e7d728bd795715/thumbnail_9607000.jpg","/articles/6671254/Legislature-advances-two-bills-to-realign-and-convert-bullcart-trails-to-public-easements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671254-0b8bf3f47b41a641357119ad6a53ba23/orig.mp4?Expires=1770681083&Signature=e6Zrzr8Cms9dyYDbqQhuQoFC3EWj3Dm5x1ZHRDrP6aaWmGL7hX1WBw5xiTBiTQyT-F6jmjSrkiuI-n2IwdY3Xip~ZW9YSNGALq2HcKuTDe2FGCexGLYH20cX6UzjngPzDe6NNGBPYmKl-3CsYpuXCCbXVAJloa4FtIbVGZVRRGp0dH48EEjevEsi0YuslBL0D5zLZN15KputdVOyJbm7ckEXpdJhkperypS8saCfs-Htae8G4ip0-Al7T5HrlEYl0FlrV4oUxs3qOh8tSUI5SmGdFWa3bNLNwSaMv1mE6Z6S3SOXCnoeGirIoklqP4jVnPgzM2RpcVVrvsCQZJ~~NQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Guam Legislature moved two related land bills — Bill 379 and Bill 381 (37th Guam Legislature) — from committee onto the session agenda and to third‑reading/voting files after sponsors described them as mechanisms to realign existing bull‑cart trails and convert corridors into clearer public easements.

Speaker Therese Terlahi explained that Bill 379 authorizes the Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) and the Department of Land Management (DLM) to realign the boulevard/bull‑cart trail along certain lots so owners can consolidate parcels and develop them with clearer boundaries. She said the realignment would preserve public ocean access while straightening and widening the trail and allowing landowners to consolidate lots for development.

Bill 381 would authorize CLTC to sell 15,080 square meters of an existing bull‑cart trail in Timuning (or to transfer it to DLM and authorize an exchange for approximately 13,101 square meters of a 60‑foot public easement through consolidated lots). The sponsor said the bill responds to long‑running property partition and boundary issues on ancestral lands and would preserve access to the same part of the cliff and shore while enabling owners to move forward with subdivision and development plans.

Both motions to place the bills on the session agenda and to move them to third reading/voting file carried without recorded objection. Sponsors said both measures had undergone public hearings, received Chamorro Land Trust and Guam Land Use Commission review, and were intended to improve public beach access and legal clarity for adjacent landowners.

Next steps: Both bills were set for third reading and a future vote; the transcript records committee history and floor scheduling but not final third‑reading roll calls in the provided excerpts.","The Legislature moved two bills (379 and 381, 37th Guam Legislature) involving realignment, sale or exchange of historic bull‑cart trails through ancestral lands onto the session agenda and to third reading. Sponsors said the measures were intended to clarify boundaries, improve beach access and enable property consolidation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Contentious floor debate as Legislature moves vetoed hospital bill into voting file

Legislature advances bill to purchase private land used as a Mahina drainage basin; payment and funding amended on floor

Legislature advances bill to create clearer pathway for worker-led cooperatives

Legislature advances two bills to realign and convert bull‑cart trails to public easements