Legislature of Guam
Encyclopedia
The Legislature of Guam (Liheslaturan Guåhan in Chamorro
) is the territorial legislature of Guam
. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory
is unicameral, with a single house consisting of fifteen senators, serving for a two year term. All members of the Legislature are elected at-large
.
The Guam Legislature meets in the territorial capital of Hagåtña (formerly Agana). The current legislature building is located at 155 Hesler Place.
-appointed governor, who, until 1817, reported to the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico
. Due to New Spain
's distance from Guam and the speed of transportation of the times, Guam's leadership often took matters into its own hands. During the Mexican War of Independence
, when Spain
increasingly saw New Spain falling through its grip, Madrid transferred Guam's political authority to the Governor of Manila, and after 1821, fully to the Spanish Philippines
.
during the 1898 Spanish American War in a bloodless invasion. For the next forty years, the United States Navy
assumed executive control of the island, treating it more as a military outpost than an overseas territory, with little to no civilian say in the island's affairs. On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces invaded Guam, beginning a three year occupation of the island. The island was eventually retaken in 1944 during the intense Battle of Guam.
Following the end of the war, the U.S. Navy attempted to resume military control of the islands, much to the dismay of the local Chamorro
population who demanded greater rights on the heels of the harsh Japanese occupation. The U.S. federal government listened. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950
signed by President Harry S. Truman
. The act established a civilian territorial government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It was the first time that Guam had a democratic civilian government.
The Guam Organic Act provided for the establishment of the Guam Legislature, a unicameral body with 21 senators. Following a revision in the territory's law in 1996, the Legislature was reduced from 21 to 15 senators in an attempt to cut over-representation.
In the early 1980s, election of senators changed from separate districts to at-large voting. In today's primary election, voters choose up to 15 from one party, and the top 15 candidates from each party advance to the general election.
, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
, and the Council of the District of Columbia
.
The First Guam Legislature was elected after the enactment of the Organic Act in 1950. The current 30th Guam Legislature (Chamorro
: I Mina' Trenta Na Liheslaturan Guåhan) was elected in November 2008 and serves from January 5, 2009 to January 2, 2011.
. In October 2007, Republican Senator Antonio (Tony) Unpingco died, and in a Special Election held in January 2008, Democratic
candidate Benjamin "BJ" Cruz won the vacated seat and brought the Democrats to the majority.
After Cruz was inaugurated, the new Democratic majority demanded control of the legislature, but Republicans held on to standing rules adopted in January 2007 which required a 12-3 vote to change the speakership and a 10-5 vote to change the standing rules, both of which the Democrats did not have. Finally, after a six-day power struggle during which two "legislatures" with two "speakers" both claimed legitimacy, Republicans gave up their leadership and Democratic Senator Judith Won Pat was elected speaker by the full legislature.
In the November 2004 legislative elections, the Republican Party
defeated the Democratic Party
. The Republicans held 9 seats (Speaker
Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Joanne Salas Brown, Majority Leader Ray Tenorio, Majority Whip
Jesse Anderson Lujan, Lawrence Kasperbauer, Antonio R. Unpingco, Edward B. Calvo, Michael Cruz and Robert Klitzkie). The Democrats held six seats (Frank B. Aguon Jr.
, Lou Leon Guerrero, Adolpho Palacios, Benjamin Cruz, Judith Won Pat Borja and Rory Respicio).
In the November 2006 legislative elections, the Republican Party
defeated the Democratic Party
. The Republicans held 8 seats (Speaker
Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Antonio R. Unpingco, Jesse Anderson Lujan, James V. Espaldon, Frank F. Blas Jr., and Frankie Ishizaki. The Democrats held seven seats (Judith Won Pat, Rory J. Respicio, David L.G. Shimizu, Tina R. Muna Barnes, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, and Benjamin J.F. Cruz, who won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Antonio R. Unpingco, also a former Speaker of the 27th Guam Legislature).
In the November 2008 legislative elections, the Democratic Party
defeated the Republican Party
. The Democrats hold 10 seats (Speaker
) Judith T. Won Pat, Vice Speaker Benjamin J.F. Cruz, Legislative Secretary Tina R. Muna Barnes, Majority Leader Rory J. Respicio, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, Thomas C. Ada, and Matthew J. Rector. The Republcians hold five seats (Minority Leader Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Frank F. Blas Jr., James V. Espaldon, and Telo Taitague).
Chamorro language
Chamorro is a Malayo-Polynesian language, spoken on the Mariana Islands by about 47,000 people Chamorro (Chamorro: Fino' Chamoru or simply Chamoru) is a Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian) language, spoken on the Mariana Islands (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) by about 47,000 people Chamorro...
) is the territorial legislature of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory
Incorporated territory
Territories of the United States are one of the four types of political division of the United States, overseen directly by the federal government of the United States and not any part of a U.S. state. These territories were created to govern newly acquired land while the borders of the United...
is unicameral, with a single house consisting of fifteen senators, serving for a two year term. All members of the Legislature are elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
.
The Guam Legislature meets in the territorial capital of Hagåtña (formerly Agana). The current legislature building is located at 155 Hesler Place.
Spanish Period: 1668-1898
During the Spanish colonial era, lasting roughly from the 1670s until 1898, Guam was provided with no colonial legislature. All political decisions on the island were left to a MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
-appointed governor, who, until 1817, reported to the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Due to New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
's distance from Guam and the speed of transportation of the times, Guam's leadership often took matters into its own hands. During the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
, when Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
increasingly saw New Spain falling through its grip, Madrid transferred Guam's political authority to the Governor of Manila, and after 1821, fully to the Spanish Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
American Period: 1898-1941, 1944-today
Spain lost GuamCapture of Guam
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war...
during the 1898 Spanish American War in a bloodless invasion. For the next forty years, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
assumed executive control of the island, treating it more as a military outpost than an overseas territory, with little to no civilian say in the island's affairs. On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces invaded Guam, beginning a three year occupation of the island. The island was eventually retaken in 1944 during the intense Battle of Guam.
Following the end of the war, the U.S. Navy attempted to resume military control of the islands, much to the dismay of the local Chamorro
Chamorros
The Chamorro people, or Chamoru people, are the indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands, which include the American territory of Guam and the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, significant Chamoru populations also exist in several U.S. states...
population who demanded greater rights on the heels of the harsh Japanese occupation. The U.S. federal government listened. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950
Guam Organic Act of 1950
The Guam Organic Act of 1950, is a United States federal law that redesignated the island of Guam as an unincorporated territory of the United States, established executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and transferred Federal jurisdiction from the United States Navy to the Department of...
signed by President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
. The act established a civilian territorial government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It was the first time that Guam had a democratic civilian government.
The Guam Organic Act provided for the establishment of the Guam Legislature, a unicameral body with 21 senators. Following a revision in the territory's law in 1996, the Legislature was reduced from 21 to 15 senators in an attempt to cut over-representation.
In the early 1980s, election of senators changed from separate districts to at-large voting. In today's primary election, voters choose up to 15 from one party, and the top 15 candidates from each party advance to the general election.
Legislature
The Guam Legislature carries on many of the same powers and duties as many U.S. territorial and state legislatures. The Legislature is noted as being one of the four rare unicameral legislatures in the United States, along with the Nebraska LegislatureNebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Legislature of the Virgin Islands
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the United States Virgin Islands. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, elected to two-year terms without term limits. The territorial...
, and the Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
.
The First Guam Legislature was elected after the enactment of the Organic Act in 1950. The current 30th Guam Legislature (Chamorro
Chamorro language
Chamorro is a Malayo-Polynesian language, spoken on the Mariana Islands by about 47,000 people Chamorro (Chamorro: Fino' Chamoru or simply Chamoru) is a Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian) language, spoken on the Mariana Islands (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) by about 47,000 people Chamorro...
: I Mina' Trenta Na Liheslaturan Guåhan) was elected in November 2008 and serves from January 5, 2009 to January 2, 2011.
Make-up of the 30th Legislature (2009-2010)
| Affiliation | Members |
|
| Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | |
| Total |
15 | |
| Majority |
3 | |
28th through 30th Legislatures
The 29th Guam Legislature (January 2007 - December 2008) began with a slim 8-7 majority of the Republican Party with Mark Forbes as SpeakerSpeaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
. In October 2007, Republican Senator Antonio (Tony) Unpingco died, and in a Special Election held in January 2008, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Benjamin "BJ" Cruz won the vacated seat and brought the Democrats to the majority.
After Cruz was inaugurated, the new Democratic majority demanded control of the legislature, but Republicans held on to standing rules adopted in January 2007 which required a 12-3 vote to change the speakership and a 10-5 vote to change the standing rules, both of which the Democrats did not have. Finally, after a six-day power struggle during which two "legislatures" with two "speakers" both claimed legitimacy, Republicans gave up their leadership and Democratic Senator Judith Won Pat was elected speaker by the full legislature.
In the November 2004 legislative elections, the Republican Party
Republican Party (Guam)
The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a...
defeated the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Guam)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003....
. The Republicans held 9 seats (Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Joanne Salas Brown, Majority Leader Ray Tenorio, Majority Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
Jesse Anderson Lujan, Lawrence Kasperbauer, Antonio R. Unpingco, Edward B. Calvo, Michael Cruz and Robert Klitzkie). The Democrats held six seats (Frank B. Aguon Jr.
Frank Aguon
Frank Blas Aguon, Jr. is a Guamanian Democratic politician. He has served for six terms as a Senator in the Legislature of Guam. Aguon has also run as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Guam in the 2006 and 2010 gubernatorial elections. Aguon is currently the running mate of former Guam...
, Lou Leon Guerrero, Adolpho Palacios, Benjamin Cruz, Judith Won Pat Borja and Rory Respicio).
In the November 2006 legislative elections, the Republican Party
Republican Party (Guam)
The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a...
defeated the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Guam)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003....
. The Republicans held 8 seats (Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Antonio R. Unpingco, Jesse Anderson Lujan, James V. Espaldon, Frank F. Blas Jr., and Frankie Ishizaki. The Democrats held seven seats (Judith Won Pat, Rory J. Respicio, David L.G. Shimizu, Tina R. Muna Barnes, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, and Benjamin J.F. Cruz, who won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Antonio R. Unpingco, also a former Speaker of the 27th Guam Legislature).
In the November 2008 legislative elections, the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Guam)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003....
defeated the Republican Party
Republican Party (Guam)
The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a...
. The Democrats hold 10 seats (Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
) Judith T. Won Pat, Vice Speaker Benjamin J.F. Cruz, Legislative Secretary Tina R. Muna Barnes, Majority Leader Rory J. Respicio, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, Thomas C. Ada, and Matthew J. Rector. The Republcians hold five seats (Minority Leader Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Frank F. Blas Jr., James V. Espaldon, and Telo Taitague).
Speakers of the Legislature of Guam
| Legislature | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1st - 2nd Legislature | Antonio B. Won Pat Antonio Borja Won Pat Antonio Borja Won Pat was the first Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.He was born in Sumay, Guam, and worked as a teacher. He was first elected to the Advisory Guam Congress in 1936. In 1951 he became speaker of the Guam Assembly. In 1965 he was elected as a... |
Popular Party |
| 3rd Legislature | Francisco B. Leon Guerrero | Popular Party |
| 4th - 7th Legislature | Antonio B. Won Pat Antonio Borja Won Pat Antonio Borja Won Pat was the first Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.He was born in Sumay, Guam, and worked as a teacher. He was first elected to the Advisory Guam Congress in 1936. In 1951 he became speaker of the Guam Assembly. In 1965 he was elected as a... |
Popular Party |
| 8rd Legislature | Carlos P. Taitano | Territorial Party |
| 9th - 10th Legislature | Joaquin C. Arriola | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 11th - 12th Legislature | Florencio T. Ramirez | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 13th - 14th Legislature | Joseph F. Ada | Republican Party Republican Party (Guam) The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a... |
| 15th - 16th Legislature | Tomas V. C. Tanaka | Republican Party Republican Party (Guam) The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a... |
| 17th - 18th Legislature | Carl T. C. Gutierrez | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 19th Legislature | Franklin J. A. Quitugua | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 20th - 22nd Legislature | Joe T. San Agustin | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 23rd Legislature | Don Parkinson | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 24th - 26th Legislature | Antonio R. Unpingco | Republican Party Republican Party (Guam) The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a... |
| 27th Legislature | Vicente "Ben" Pangelinan | Democratic Party Democratic Party (Guam) The Democratic Party is a political party in Guam. It is affiliated to the United States Democratic Party.Its most prominent member is Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.... |
| 28th - 29th Legislature | Mark Forbes | Republican Party Republican Party (Guam) The Republican Party is a political party in Guam affiliated with the United States Republican Party.At the election of November 2006, the party won 8 out of 15 seats in the legislature and its gubernatorial candidate Felix Perez Camacho was re-elected governor.However, after the death of a... |
| 29th - 31rd Legislature | Judith "Judy" T. Won Pat |