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Guam Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto of FY2026 Budget Act; Roll Call 11–4
Summary
The 30th Guam Legislature voted 11–4 to override Governor’s veto of Bill 44‑38 (FY2026 spending plan). Supporters said the budget funds hospitals, schools and infrastructure; opponents warned the rollback of the business privilege tax would cost roughly $80 million and risk the island’s credit rating and services.
The Guam Legislature on a roll-call vote on the vetoed FY2026 spending plan overrode Governor’s veto of Bill 44‑38 COR, with 11 members voting to override and 4 voting against.
The override followed hours of floor debate. Majority Leader Senator Rohan urged colleagues to sustain the legislature’s earlier passage of the budget and called it “a product of this body” that balances government obligations and keeps operations running as the fiscal year begins. Several senators in favor highlighted appropriations for Guam Memorial Hospital, Simon Sanchez High School, a new public defender service corporation and a rollback of the business privilege tax (BPT).
Opponents described the override as a major, unfunded tax cut. One senator warned that rolling back the BPT would reduce revenues by roughly $40 million in FY2026 and another $40 million in FY2027 — a cumulative gap some speakers described as approximately $80 million — and said that loss would force program cuts or additional borrowing and could damage Guam’s credit rating. Speakers opposing the override said the largest beneficiaries would be the biggest contractors and corporations, not small, local businesses.
Supporters said the bill reflects extensive committee work and public hearings and that the Legislature prioritized long‑standing projects and services. Several senators who supported the override asked the executive branch to coordinate with the Legislature on carrying out the enacted spending plan.
Clerk-conducted roll call: Vice Speaker Tony Atta (yay); Senator Barnett (nay); Speaker Frank Blas (yay); Senator Borja (yay); Senator Calvo (yay); Senator Duenas (yay); Senator Kumatatao (yay); Senator Luhan (yay); Senator Munoz Barnes (yay); Senator Parkinson (nay); Senator Perez (nay); Senator Solis Matanani (yay); Senator Saint Augustine (yay); Senator Taidegui (nay). The clerk announced: “Veto bill number 44‑38 COR received 11 yays, 4 nays. Veto bill number 44‑38 COR was overridden by a vote of 11 members of this body.”
Outcome and next steps: With the override recorded, the Legislature placed the vetoed bill on the third‑reading/voting file and proceeded to the roll call that produced the override result.
Votes at a glance: Veto of Bill 44‑38 COR (FY2026 spending plan) — override passed, tally 11 yes, 4 no. No amendments or substitutes were recorded at the time of the override.
Context: Debate on the override focused heavily on the fiscal tradeoffs of the BPT rollback included in the budget package, the immediate needs of Guam Memorial Hospital and Guam Department of Education, and warnings about the potential effect of reduced revenues on borrowing costs for major capital projects.
Acknowledgment: The article summarizes floor debate and the clerk’s roll‑call as recorded on the legislative floor. Quotations are taken from floor remarks by identified senators recorded in the session transcript.
