Meanwhile, the Governor vetoed one bill: Senator Joanne Brown's measure to prohibit GovGuam from hiring those convicted of official misconduct.

In her veto message, she wrote that she was concerned the bill's language could be misinterpreted to apply retroactively.

She said that it may violate the rights of those who've been re-hired as classified employees.

Sponsor Brown disagrees, saying, “She has harbored individuals and hired individuals that have been convicted of official misconduct in her administration. And certainly as I made my pledge when I came back after all these years to run for public office my primary agenda was to root out corruption in the Government of Guam, and certainly this is one area that we found a loophole that when an individual who has already had an opportunity to be hired by the government and has abused that position for whatever reason they've chosen to benefit themselves at the harm of the public they by all means they should never have the opportunity of coming back.” 

During the public hearing, Senator Chris Barnett raised an example in which a former corrections employee who he said has close ties to the Lieutenant Governor was implicated in contraband smuggling at DOC and was later hired at the Port.

Brown said her bill is very clear in such cases.

“If you're convicted of official misconduct you cannot be hired, but if you're an existing employee of the Government of Guam and you're convicted of official misconduct obviously that would terminate your hiring because you committed the offense so you cannot continue or should not be able to continue,” said Brown. 

While the Governor said she looks forward to working with the legislature to remove what she believes is the ambiguity in the bill, Brown said she will likely try for an override.