by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Bill 19 may not have been a home run with the Guam National Olympic Committee, several local sports federations and island athletes, like island Olympian Ric Blas, Jr. "In the fact it will shut down the bingo program and cause us to lose funding that we need to go off-island and compete at games," he said.

But co-sponsor of the legislation and former GNOC athlete Senator Tommy Morrison says it certainly has made an impact and shed light with problems with current Guam law. "I believe that the message got lost in this and I'm all about the athlete, I'm all about support the youth, the community at the village level and this is an existing law that we're trying to make adjustments to so that it can be fully executed by rev and tax and do what it's supposed to do and help this communities," he said.

Bill 19 would allow the director of Rev & Tax to take on the role of the dormant Gaming Control Commission and assess an interim 20% tax on all GRT from all gaming activities in Guam that's don't have a specific tax rate. Specifically it aims to tax the GNOC bingo lottery. The revenue from the tax would in turn go back into improving island sports facilities.

But during last week's hearing it was revealed that DRT wasn't even enforcing current Guam law which imposes a limited gaming tax that shall not exceed 4% of the GRT at minimum rate of one half of two percent. During last week's hearing it was clear Rev & Tax director John Camacho was out in left field with the law.

Senator Morrison meanwhile said today he was open to a new game plan in terms of amending the bill. Left as is, GNOC athlete Seve Susuico says the legislation is a detriment to keeping athletes head in the game. "People don't really realize they are covering those things until they're threatening to take away 20%, which will affect athletes mentally," he said.