Sen. Joe San Agustin's election reform bill drew fire at a public hearing - with testimony saying the bill would discourage candidates from running and that it targets certain politicians.

"Who is it that you're trying to encourage or discourage," Sen. Mary Torres questioned. "And is it now going to be a participation of only the rich and the affluent? Or is it true representation of our community, which includes people who perhaps do not have the means to buy an election, but have the brains to sit in an office and contribute?"

"The fact that this legislation doesn't do anything to make it easier for new people to run for office is a problem," Ken Leon-Guerrero testified.

The criticism kept coming for Bill 246 - San Agustin, Speaker Tina Barnes and Sen. Jose Pedo Terlaje's massive election reform bill.

While the bill had some input from the Guam Election Commission, one provision bars any candidate who loses in a primary election from running as a write-in in the general - the GEC says that wasn't its idea.

In public testimony, Leon-Guerrero argued that while this part of the measure targets candidates, voters - at least in the last election.

"The whole thing about the write-in candidate that appears to be targeting people," he said. "I know you guys refer to it as the 'loser law' but if you think back to the last write-in campaign was driven by citizens. Frank Aguon didn't even acknowledge the write-in campaign until 30 days after Andri Baynum and I started it."

The bill also looks to make the general election a GovGuam holiday. It would also allow supporters of candidates and parties to electioneer 50 feet away from polling sites. Current law says they must stay 100 feet away from polls.

The bill would also raise candidacy fees. The bill raises those fees, although the increases won't be as high as the GEC recommended. When the GEC director read off the commission's proposed increases, one of the proposals was to increase the fee to run for senator to $5,000.

"It's astronomical," Sen. Torres said. "It's nearly 10 percent of the salary of the office, which is just, in my estimate, absurd."

"It's been my belief that the $100 filing fee that's been in existence for the last few decades is a fair and equal amount," Dave Duenas testified.

Senators asked GEC Executive Director Maria Pangelinan why the proposed fee increases were so high and she said the GEC board came up with the numbers.

"It is only a recommendation," she responded. "They were looking at how to obtain a funding source for the Guam Election Commission."

Sen. Torres said the increased fees would price some candidates out of the market.

"We're not opening doors, we're really putting up brick walls," she said.

The bill also includes a provision laying out how to replace a congressional delegate vacancy, but as Leon Guerrero pointed out, it didn't address the current situation with jailed Yona mayor, Jesse Blas.

"There's nothing in this bill that says if an elected official is vacant from his position for 30 days or more that position shall be declared vacant but we have a section here targeting how we're going to replace Mike San Nicolas," Leon Guerrero said.