To continue this free service to you, we include affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission from purchases made through links. Commissions received from linked purchases will help fund ongoing costs.
KUAM News- As 22 Government of Guam agencies enter week 7 of no legal representation, lawmakers attempt to resolve the situation.
Senator Tom Fisher remarked, “The territory has been suffering for some weeks now on the uncertainty of the Attorney General’s position. Agencies are suffering of course.”
Speaker Therese Terlaje’s Bill 259 was up for discussion in a public hearing Thursday.
Her bill would authorize the affected agencies to hire an outside attorney to provide legal services and to go forward with procurement contracts over $500,000 without the AG’s input.
This after the Attorney General’s Office temporarily withdrew legal representation for 22 GovGuam agencies that are under investigation based on OPA audits.
Department of Administration Director Edward Birn testified in support of the measure.
He said, “An already lengthy and complex process has been rendered harder through the uncertainty now prevailing. I cannot help note that even government vendors are also anxious on uncertain outcomes and unpredictable delays.”
Meanwhile, AG Doug Moylan asked senators to delay any action on the bill and let the judiciary decide what’s to come.
“The Supreme Court will be coming out with a decision, one might say in a few weeks if not very quickly as they granted an expedited briefing schedule. The Governor’s already filed her brief as of monday. our is due next friday. Then oral arguments are in May,” said Moylan.
But Spkr. Terlaje said movement on the bill won’t impede any decision made by the courts.
Terlaje said, “I think if there are agencies that are currently without counsel, that the prospect of waiting until the middle of may for the courts to decide some Organic Act issues that might not even solve what we’re going to do moving forward either way, I feel like we should have a solution in place before May.”
Source : https://www.kuam.com/story/50683985/bill-259-offers-solution-for-22-govguam-agencies-without-legal-representation