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Four bills vetoed
 
November 27, 2009
 
Governor Felix P. Camacho today signed 14 bills into law, including Bill No. 196-30, now PL 30-68, which gives village mayors the authority to sponsor and approve concessions, festivals, fiestas, or other village events that promote the Chamorro culture, tradition, heritage and tourism.
 
“Our village mayors are at the front lines of community service. They know their villages intimately and care deeply about the welfare of our people,” said Gov. Camacho. “This bill allows them to sponsor events that are in the best interest of their respective villages.”
 
Governor Camacho also enacted the following Public Laws:

    •    Bill No. 99-30 – PL 30-62: Amends the law relative to the issuance of special gold star license plates.
    •    Bill No. 101-30 – PL 30-63: Amends the law relative to prohibiting smoking within twenty feet of an entrance or exit of a public place where smoking is prohibited.
    •    Bill No. 135-30 – PL 30-64: Authorizes the Department of Public Health and Social Services to contract an independent environmental health inspection company to conduct sanitary inspections on behalf of the DPHSS; and to fund inspection services from fees authorized to be collected.
    •    Bill No. 151-30 – PL 30-65: Authorizes the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation to designate areas within the Guam Territorial Park System as “Alcohol Free Zones”, and to provide for penalties for non-compliance.
    •    Bill No. 175-30 – PL 30-66: Amends the law relative to permitting the Guam Power Authority, and the Guam Waterworks Authority to enter into long term contracts.
    •    Bill No. 191-30 – PL 30-67: Includes all graduates under the Pedro “Doc” Sanchez Scholarship program to receive the one-step merit pay increase benefit.
    •    Bill No. 196-30 – PL 30-68: Gives village mayors the authority to sponsor village events.
    •    Bill No. 198-30 – PL 30-69: Amends the law relative to the compensation of commissioners of the Guam Housing Urban Renewal Authority.
    •    Bill No. 210-30 – PL 30-70: Amends the law relative to providing the means to cover the cost of issuing Guam Identification Certificates.
    •    Bill No. 220-30 – PL 30-72: Amends the law relative to the duties of the Attorney General in procurement oversight and advisement.
    •    Bill No. 227-30 – PL 30-71: Authorizes hazardous pay to parole officers who perform the duty of supervising and counseling parolees, and to authorize hazardous pay to employees of the Department of Corrections who perform duties, which if performed by other law enforcement of public safety officers, would entitle such officers to hazardous pay.
    •    Bill No. 229-30 – PL 30-73: Relative to the Dr. Antonio C. Yamashita Teacher Corps.
    •    Bill No. 241-30 – PL 30-74: An act to repeal the law relative to Lot no. 237-6-1, Agana.
    •    Bill No. 246-30 – PL 30-75: Amends the law relative to cottage industry activity.
 
The Governor also vetoed the following bills:
 
    •   Bill No. 207-30 , attempted to adopt the procedures manual for the acquisition, enforcement and maintenance of territorial highway right-of-way and standards; to require the legislative approval of revisions to the Guam Transportation Improvement Plan.
    •    Bill No. 193-30 , sought to place Merizo Pier Park under the administrative jurisdiction of the Merizo Mayor’s Office.
    •    Bill No. 147-30 , would amend the law relative to the Guam Economic Development Authority loans and lending practices.
    •    Bill No. 233-30 , would amend the law relative to the rules and regulations for the school property of the Department of Education.
 
“Although I support most of the amendments contained in Bill No. 233-30, the legislation contains a provision which could potentially risk the government’s effort to rebuild and reopen John F. Kennedy High School. This risk has compelled me to veto the measure,” said Gov. Camacho in his veto letter to Speaker Judi Won Pat on Bill No. 233-30.

Three bills vetoed
 
November 25, 2009    
 
Governor Felix P. Camacho today, enacted the following Public Laws:
 
    •    Bill No. 176-30 - PL No. 30-59: Establishes a separate notary public revolving fund and increases the fee collected by the government of Guam for notary applications from $50 to $100. It also allows a fee to be collected form the issuing of certificates of authenticity and apostilles. It further clarifies that apostilles are issued by the director or deputy director of the Department of Administration.

    •    Bill No. 177-30 - PL No. 30-60: Authorizes the Office of the Attorney General to collect a fee for its attorney general clearances. It also establishes a separate fund for the deposit of those fees, entitled the “Victim or Witness Travel – Housing Fund” for use by the Office of the Attorney General.

    •    Bill No. 181-30 - PL No. 30-61: Amends the Guam Code Annotated, relative to Judiciary of Guam judges and justices’ annually compensation adjustments.
 
Among other action taken on bills, Governor Camacho vetoed:
 
    •    Bill No. 108-30, which sought to re-establish the Guam Community Police Review Commission. Among several other reasons, the governor’s decision to veto the proposed law was the absence of a funding source to support the measure’s mandate.
 
In his veto message to Legislative Speaker Judi Won Pat, the governor further stated, “The determination of a person’s guilt should only be made by those properly trained and equipped such as Internal Affairs and the Attorney General’s Office. The bill gives the Commission this tremendous authority, which may lead to unsubstantiated determinations of misconduct or criminal activity that would be deemed final.”
 
    •    Bill No. 209-30, which attempted to amend Guam’s financial disclosure law to include individuals who are delegated to have sole authority to enter into procurement contracts or approved change order.
 
“Unfortunately, it is unclear whether such an individual exists as no single individual has sole authority to enter into procurement contracts,” said Gov. Camacho. “Guam law also requires that all contracts, after approval of the attorney general, shall be executed upon the approval of the governor. As evident in all government of Guam contracts, no single person has the authority to enter into procurement contracts. Rather than sign legislation that has no effect since it will not apply to anyone, I have vetoed the measure.”
 
    •    Bill No. 200-30, attempts to adjust the compensation of the Attorney General of Guam to be comparable and equitable with other legal officer positions of the government of Guam.
 
“I appreciate the responsibilities and demands of the position of the attorney general and recognize that a salary adjustment may be warranted. However, as this legislation will not be effective until 2011, I simply ask that we wait for the outcome of the study (Government-Wide Position Classification Compensation and Benefits Study) to recommend a salary level commensurate with the role of the Attorney General of Guam,” said Gov. Camacho in his veto letter to Speaker Won Pat.

Veto message bill 108-30.pdf
Veto message bill 200-30.pdf
Veto message bill 209-30.pdf

 

$5 million for GDOE to jeopardize critical CIPs, governor issues executive order to buy more time for alternative solution

November 20, 2009

Governor Felix P. Camacho met with his fiscal team this morning to discus Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo’s proposal that would avoid the Guam Department of Education’s (GDOE) anticipated federal funding shortfall.

“Our education system is in an unacceptable situation that compromises the instructional time of our students and places more than 300 GDOE employees in limbo with their jobs and the ability to support their families,” said Gov. Camacho. “While I share in the resolve to find funding that will avoid this situation, I must also realize that other departments and agencies throughout our island are relying on this CIP funding.”

The Department of the Interior awarded Guam more than $16 million for health, education, social or public safety services, and infrastructure-related projects. Of that amount, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (DMHSA) is slated to receive $500,000 to pay for major CIP and permanent injunction- related requirements.

In a letter to Gov. Camacho, DMHSA Director Dr. David Shimizu noted, “Any plan to redirect these funds will negatively impact DMHSA’s ability to comply with the court orders, consequently bringing this agency, and the government of Guam, much closer to the possibility of being placed under receivership.” The agency is required to give monthly updates on how it is meeting court orders related to the permanent injunction.

The redirection of CIP funding may also affect other funding commitments such as: $500,000 to DISID for projects related to the permanent injunction; $3.5 million to GMHA for capital improvement projects and equipment; $500,000 to DPHSS for pharmaceutical supplies; $527,026 to GPD for patrol vehicles; and $750,000 to GFD for fire pumper trucks.

 “GMHA is already working toward expediting the procurement of these absolutely critical projects. All of these projects directly impact not only the provision of quality patient care services, but patient safety as well,” said GMH Director Peter John Camacho.

“We must identify another option, one that will not make us choose between our hospital’s full accreditation and the education of our children through federally funded programs … between meeting orders of Mental Health’s permanent injunction and keeping more than 300 GDOE employees at work,” said Gov. Camacho. “My office will work with lawmakers to develop an interim solution that will give GDOE more time to identify a third party and restore federal funds. In the meantime, I have issued an executive order that will secure funding for GDOE’s payroll for the next pay period.”