Guam's 34th Guam legislature will be history in just four days and a clearly frustrated Acting Speaker Therese Terlaje has decided not to try to undo last minute vetoes by Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo in the waning time.
Terlaje announced Monday that notwithstanding the governor’s vetoes of three bills, she would abide by the Open Government Law and not be calling the 34th Guam Legislature into session.
The inauguration for the 35th Guam Legislature will be at 10 a.m. on Mon, Jan. 7, 2019.
“The incoming 35th Guam Legislature will be in place within a week and will be able to address any unfinished business or urgent matters. The vetoes were transmitted to the Legislature late Friday afternoon, leaving less than five working days to give the notice required by the Open Government Law,” according to Acting Speaker Terlaje.
In an effort to accommodate the six members who will not be returning to the legislature in the next term, and allow them one last chance to get bills passed, the December session went for two weeks with many bills added to the original agenda. Instead of voting at the end of the first week, senators voted to continue. At the end of the second week, voting on all bills occurred, farewell remarks were given by several departing senators during the Extension of Remarks portion of the agenda, and bills were promptly transmitted to the governor.
Late Friday afternoon the governor sent veto messages to the acting speaker for Bills 374-34 (COR) regarding the Real Property Tax on properties valued over $1 million, Bill 363-34(COR) regarding the Core Tech QC, and Bill 154-34 (COR) regarding the Revisions to the Sign Laws.
The governor did not indicate in his veto messages that any of the vetoed bills would address an emergency and thus it will be for the next governor and next legislature to further address those matters.