Too hot to handle? Guam political status plebiscite bill languishing in committee

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

A bill that would lift the race-based restrictions on Guam’s decolonization plebiscite has been stuck in committee since it was proposed last month and its author wants to know why.

“Whether you support this bill or oppose it, the people of Guam deserve a fair process and a real opportunity to be heard,” Sen. William Parkinson, author of Bill 242-38, said in a letter to Vice Speaker Vicente Ada, chair of the rules committee.

The bill has not been referred to the appropriate committee since its introduction on Dec. 5, 2025.

“Referrals usually take days, not weeks or months,” Parkinson said, seeking an explanation for the hold-up.

In his letter, the senator requested confirmation of the bill’s procedural status, identification of any administrative or drafting issues delaying referral and the anticipated date and committee of jurisdiction for referral.

William Parkinson

Parkinson also expressed concern that prolonged delay, whether intentional or not, can effectively run out the clock and deprive the public of its opportunity to testify.

“When measures sit without referral, the public hearing cannot happen,” he said.  “That is a disservice to the constituents we serve. If you disagree with my bill, come say it on the record. If you agree, come defend it."

Bill 242-38 proposes updates to Guam’s political status plebiscite law by removing ancestry-based voting eligibility, which the courts have ruled unconstitutional under the Fifteenth Amendment.

If enacted into law, the plebiscite would be open to “all registered voters” on Guam.

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“The public should not be denied the chance to participate because the process is stalled,” Parkinson said.

He noted that the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Davis v. Guam made it legally necessary to amend the statute before any plebiscite could proceed.

He emphasized that the bill is not about silencing any community’s history, but about ensuring Guam has a legally executable process that can withstand constitutional scrutiny and finally move the plebiscite forward.

Parkinson reiterated that the core principle at stake is not only the substance of the bill, but the integrity of the legislative process itself.

“Our people have waited decades to have an honest, lawful vote on our political future,” he said. “The minimum we owe them is a transparent process with timely referral and a public hearing where every voice can be heard.”

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