Amendments sought for legislation
Whether it was the Responsible Gaming Act, or the Guam Casino Gaming Control Commission Act, the Better Jobs for Guam Act, or the Legalization of Bingo Act, since 2004 every single initiative dealing with gambling that has come before island voters has been shot down.
By KUAM NewsGuam - The Initiative Reform and Transparency Act of 2012 went up for a public hearing this morning, and opponents of the last five defeated initiatives testified in support of the legislation but had several amendments they'd like to see included to prevent problems of the past.
Whether it was the Responsible Gaming Act, or the Guam Casino Gaming Control Commission Act, the Better Jobs for Guam Act, or the Legalization of Bingo Act, since 2004 every single initiative dealing with gambling that has come before island voters has been shot down. "Voters feel their voices don't count, and aren't being heard," noted Jackie Marati, who has been at the forefront of all the battles against legalizing gambling on Guam. And during today's public hearing on the Initiative Reform and Transparency Act of 2012, she said enough is enough and recommended a moratorium be implemented on similar initiatives from being introduced over and over again.
"Increase the moratorium on defeated initiatives of substantially the same subject so that those initiatives defeated five times in ten years m ay not come before the people of Guam for at least another ten years," she said. "This divides the community so deeply and so painfully and people are tired of it and they just don't want to hear about it anymore. They've spoken and they don't want to be asked anymore."
Bill 532 was introduced by Senator Judi Guthertz, its main purpose is to ensure transparency so that voters know whose introducing initiatives in the future and ensures they are a bona fide island resident. It would also ensure detailed financial reports are filed with the Guam Election Commission. According to Marati, this year's gambling initiative was the worst iteration yet, "We must stop nameless faceless initiatives. 2620 these initiatives do not do justice to being called peoples initiatives," she said.