Another dispute broke out in the Rules Committee. Senators squabbled more about how things got on the agenda, then what got on. A bid by Speaker Therese Terlaje to place a number of bills on a "potentials" list initially failed to get enough votes.

The list is for bills that haven't been fully vetted at the time of the rules meeting, but are expected to by session.

But Senator Chris Duenas objected, proclaiming, "This is exactly what we did in the last term that caused so much mayhem and dissension and misunderstanding by the people of Guam. This rules meeting should have eligible items that have cleared rules and have been uploaded to the website and are ready for placement. Potentials is meaningless to the public because they cannot go to the website, they cannot read the report in full, and even if they're noticed its this rules meeting that does the placement of bills."

"Senator [Joe] San Agustin and I have received the most referrals of any committees in the last term and this is how we are able to move these bills, many of them republican bills, many of them onto the floor and that is the way," continued Speaker Terlaje, "'cause we work hard having hearings on the limited dates we are allowed. and its hard routing these reports, sometimes we can't get votes on them. and we work hard to compile the information to get on these reports."

This was followed by a rapid exchange of senators talking over one another and trying to get their thoughts in.

The vote failed, but when democrat Amanda Shelton arrived later as an added vote, the republicans lost their edge. One such member of the GOP, Senator Joanne Brown, asserted, "We talk about process, but then we want to do everything we can to go around the process. I've been here an hour-and-a-half and thanks to the colleague is finally able to join us so you can outvote us on the very issue of ensuring public transparency. I think this is an abuse of the legislature.

"Yes, we have the authority to do it, but is it right that we abuse the process but expect everyone else in the government to follow it?"

In the end, Terlaje did get her list of potential bills onto the session agenda. Session is scheduled for later this month, subject to the call of the speaker.