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Acting Governor Cruz Signs 10 Bills into Public Laws |
June 16, 2009 Acting Governor Michael W. Cruz, M.D., today signed 10 bills into public law including Bill No. 36, now PL 30-26, an act to add a new chapter to the Guam Code Annotated relative to combating human trafficking on Guam and to protecting victims of human trafficking from sexual and economic exploitation. “This bill addresses a problem that affects not only the United States and other countries, but our island as well,” said Acting Governor Cruz. “As a community we will boldly stand against this crime and remain committed to protecting the human rights of our citizens.” Bill 36 was introduced by Sen. Tina Muna Barnes, who said, “the trafficking of humans should not be tolerated in any society.” Acting Governor Cruz also enacted the following Public Laws: - Bill No. 22 – PL 30-25: Adopts 2009 edition of the “International Building Code” as the building code of Guam.
- Bill No. 36 – PL 30-26: Fulfills the intent of the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 on Guam.
- Bill No. 65 – PL 30-27: Renames the Office of Public Auditor to Office of Public Accountability.
- Bill No. 70 – PL 30-28: Extends the date of submission for an independent study and investigation of radiation leakage into Apra Harbor.
- Bill No. 74 – PL 30-29: Requires the Guam Power Authority to disclose the details of every fuel purchase on its Web site.
- Bill No. 81 – PL 30-30: Requires government officials and employees to disclose financial information or personal interest in any proposed matter or decision pending before them.
- Bill No. 87 – PL 30-31: Furthers creditor protection for Guam residents.
- Bill No. 94 – PL 30-32: Reserves suitable land and makes it available to interested individuals or organizations for the cultivation of plants used by Suruhanus in the production of herbal medicine.
- Bill No. 97 – PL 30-33: Requires the use of passenger restraining devices for all occupants within a car, van or pickup truck, and clarifies and establishes certain restrictions for passengers in the bed of a pickup truck.
- Bill No. 114 – PL 30-34: Appropriates money from the Tourist Attraction Fund to GVB for the operations of the Guam Humanities Council Guampedia Project.
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Governor Camacho Vetoes Two Bills |
Governor Camacho Vetoes Two Bills June 15, 2009 Governor Felix P. Camacho vetoed bills No. 53 and No. 60 on Friday, June 12, 2009. Bill No. 53 attempts to “appropriate funds to the Mayors’ Council of Guam from the Guam Highway Fund for village streets maintenance and beautification and other purposes.” In his veto message to Legislative Speaker Judith Won Pat, Governor Camacho said, “The fiscal impact of Bill No. 53 upon the Guam Highway Fund (GHF) will be significant. Bill No. 53 appropriates $1,600,000, which, if passed, will result in a shortfall of $727,383 to the GHF. Since the GHF cannot support the appropriation contained in Bill No. 53, I have vetoed the measure.” Bill No. 60 attempts to “establish minimum qualifications for management level uniformed positions in the Guam Police Department.” The bill states that the positions of police major, police captain and police lieutenant shall be uniformed classified officers with respective college degrees and experience. In the veto message for Bill No. 60, Governor Camacho said, “imposing a degree for the Police Major, Police Captain, and Police Lieutenant positions will very likely impair GPD’s ability to recruit for these positions and would shrink the applicant pool.” |
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Governor Camacho to Attend 2009 Educational Symposium |
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June 12, 2009
Governor Felix P. Camacho is scheduled to attend the 2009 Governors Educational Symposium in Cary, North Carolina. The annual symposium, hosted by the Hunt Institute and the National Governors Association for Best Practices, focuses on standards and assessment; longitudinal data systems; teacher effectiveness; and turnaround support for failing schools – all of which are detailed priorities in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Mary Okada, president of the Guam Community College and Marcos Fong, member of the University of Guam Board of Regents, will also attend the symposium.
This two-day conference will offer valuable information from the U.S Department of Education on how to maximize funds from the ARRA and will update on education reform. Experts from various universities and educational backgrounds will discuss with stateside and territorial governments how to implement systems that will assist in applying for competitive grants that will improve student performance.
“The symposium offers our local government valuable information on how to make progress in our island’s public schools,” said Governor Camacho. “Education remains a priority of this administration, and I look forward to hearing how the implementation of system-wide strategies will help our students excel.”
The Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices have been working on a state-led effort for the development and adoption of a common core of standards to support low performance in schools.
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Lieutenant Governor Recognized for Leadership in Guam’s Cancer Efforts |
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Former President George H.W. Bush presents award to Lt. Gov. Cruz
June 12, 2009
Lieutenant Governor Michael W. Cruz, M.D., this week is attending the 2009 C-Change Annual Meeting in Kennebunkport, Maine, and was one of the recipients of the C-Change 2009 Exemplary Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Leadership Award. The award is given to elected officials that demonstrate leadership in promoting and advocating cancer control efforts on behalf of their respective state or territory. It was presented by former President George H.W. Bush, who serves as co-chair of the organization along with former First Lady Barbara Bush. Lt. Gov. Cruz was nominated for this award by local physician Dr. Annette M. David.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award and am equally proud to be part of Guam’s efforts to educate our community about cancer,” said Lt. Gov. Cruz. “As a physician, I understand the importance of raising awareness about cancer, and I remain committed to doing that. Additionally, I want to encourage our people to continue educating themselves about cancer prevention measures.”
C-Change was founded in 1998 and is comprised of over 150 members spanning government agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations. The goal of C-Change is to accelerate progress toward a future where cancer is prevented, detected early, and cured or managed successfully as a chronic illness.
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A STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF GUAM |
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June 12, 2009
“I have signed the contract with Core Tech for the Tiyan property because I believe it is the only viable solution to end double session in the coming school year. My signature is only one step forward in an effort to ensure the needed instructional time for both our GW and JFK students is not compromised.
While this agreement provides an interim campus that will alleviate overcrowding issues in our school system, the proposed solution requires the Guam Public School System to agree to the terms of this contract.
In addition, the success of this solution will require the legislature to pass legislation by June 17, 2009, as requested by Core Tech, that offers tax credits to offset the payment of the Tiyan property.
Given the immense strain double session has placed on our students, their parents, and our community, it is my hope that other government officials act quickly and in the best interest of the GPSS.
I realize that this contract represents a large financial commitment, but achieving the best possible education for our children demands that we make this investment in the absence of a better interim solution.”
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Territorial Governors Express Support for Health Care Reform Legislation |
Joint letter sent to Senate Finance Committee June 6, 2009 Governor Felix P. Camacho last week, along with other territorial governors, sent a letter urging support for pending health care reform legislation currently before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. The letter was also signed by the governors of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. In the letter to Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley, the four governors asked for parity of treatment with the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and fairer apportionment of federal health care funds for the territories to develop health care programs such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). “These programs are vital to ensuring that the people of Guam have the opportunity to receive the quality health care they need,” said Governor Camacho. “I am hopeful that with the passage of this legislation, Guam, along with the other territories, will receive the same access to federal health care benefits that is afforded to all Americans.” The letter stated that certain health care programs in the territories are disadvantaged by the cap on Medicaid funds and the matching requirements of the Federal Matching Assistance Percentages (FMAP) program. The letter further stated that the elimination of the cap and the current FMAP rate is essential to the development of Medicaid programs in the territories. |
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GOVERNOR CAMACHO SUCCESSFULLY SELLS BONDS |
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Bonds to Pay Tax Refunds, COLA, and Landfill
June 4, 2009
(New York, New York) The Government of Guam today successfully sold $473.5 million of triple tax-exempt bonds in the municipal market.
Governor Felix P. Camacho is “extremely pleased that the market recognized the government’s improved fiscal discipline and Guam’s positive outlook for the future. As a result, the successful issuance of these bonds addresses long overdue commitments to the people of Guam by funding tax refund payments, COLA, and the construction of a new landfill and will ensure stability for future generations.”
The Governor’s fiscal team and the Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA) participated in these historic bond sales, which marked two of the first large high-yield transactions since the fallout of the municipal market in fall of last year.
The two bond issues included $271.1 million of General Obligation (GO) Bonds, rated B+, and $202.4 million Limited Obligation (Section 30) Bonds, rated BBB-.
Guam residents were given the opportunity to purchase the bonds during a special Guam retail order period. Four local brokerage firms participated in the Guam selling group, placing over $2.6 million in total retail orders on both bond issues. Governor Camacho stated that “the Guam retail investments showed the confidence that our citizens and businesses have in what we have accomplished in recent years, as well as in our island’s future.”
By the end of the order period, both the GO bonds and the Section 30 bonds were well oversubscribed. Since significant marketing efforts began, the government estimates that it saved over $100 million in debt service on the GO bonds and over $56 million in debt service on the Section 30 bonds due to improvement in rates as a result of the overwhelming investor interest in Guam.
The Governor’s fiscal team and GEDA heavily marketed the bonds to over 25 investors. Investors were impressed by the government’s recent fiscal initiatives including deficit reduction, improved financial reporting, budgetary discipline and improved disclosure. Investors commended the Governor’s efforts to turn around the government’s financial condition during his term. |
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Library to Launch Summer Reading Program |
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First Lady’s HOPE Foundation and Scholastic Books to partner with Guam Public Library System
June 3, 2009
The Guam Public Library System (GPLS), in collaboration with First Lady Joann G. Camacho’s HOPE Foundation and Scholastic Books, will kick off the 2009 Scholastic Summer Challenge at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Public Library in Hagåtña. The theme for this year is “Be Creative @ Your Library.”
The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a four-month global literacy campaign designed to motivate all children, with a particular focus on kids ages 8 and up, to read four or more books during the summer to maintain and improve their academic skills.
First Lady Camacho, who serves as Guam’s Reading Ambassador for the Scholastic Summer Challenge, will read to children at the kick-off event to get kids excited about reading. The First Lady is among 38 gubernatorial spouses from across the nation who serve as Reading Ambassador for their respective state or territory.
“Reading is vital to every society, and it allows all people the opportunity to become successful in life,” said the First Lady. “Summer reading is especially critical to the success of our children. This great cause will reinforce the importance of reading and teach our children that reading is not only confined to the classroom but should also be part of their summer activities.”
Through the First Lady’s HOPE Foundation, Scholastic Books will donate 500 books to GPLS that children can take home and read over the summer vacation.
As part of the GPLS Summer Reading Program, membership registration for the Summer Reading Club has been ongoing since May 11, 2009, and will subsequently end June 15, 2009. Interested individuals can sign up at any of the library branches in Hagåtña, Barrigada, Dededo, or with the Bookmobile, which visits various locations on island. The summer program will hold its “Wrap-Up Party” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 25, 2009, at the Hagåtña branch.
“I want to thank First Lady Joann Camacho and Scholastic Books for their continued support of this program and our public libraries,” said GPLS Acting Director Joseph Baza. “They should be commended for their efforts in emphasizing the importance of literacy in our community.”
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A Message from the Governor of Guam
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