Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Guam hearing draws widespread opposition to bill that would open decolonization vote to all registered voters
Summary
Hundreds of residents and organizations urged withdrawal of Bill 242-38 during a public hearing, saying the measure would erase Chamorro-centered self-determination by replacing an ancestry-based plebiscite with a general registered-voter vote (minimum 30-day residency); sponsor Sen. William Parkinson defended the proposal as the only viable path after the Davis v. Guam rulings.
A public hearing before the General Government Operations and Appropriations committee on Bill 242-38 drew sustained, often emotional opposition from a wide range of community members, elders, cultural institutions and advocacy groups on Wednesday.
Bill 242-38 would replace the current “native inhabitant” eligibility for a political‑status plebiscite with a definition of eligible voter under Guam law — effectively allowing any registered voter, with as little as 30 days residency, to participate. Testimony at the hearing, which the committee recessed and said it will continue at a later date, centered on whether a vote to determine Guam’s political status should be limited to the indigenous people who were colonized.
Why it matters: Opponents said decolonization is a remedy for historic injustice and a right that belongs to the colonized, not merely an ordinary election. Wampat Melvin Wampat Borja, executive director of the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
