Month: May 2018

Terlaje Introduces Bill to Attempt to Force the Proper Deposits of Income Tax Receipts

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 25, 2018 – Hagåtña) – Vice Speaker Therese M. Terlaje introduced Bill No. 290-34 (COR) which will make it the ministerial duty of the Director of Administration to set aside income tax receipts to pay for tax refunds, pursuant to a formula set by the Department of Revenue and Taxation.

“There already is a strong statute in place that should compel the administration to set aside money for tax refunds. This amendment, by describing it as a ministerial duty, is an attempt to give the statute some teeth to allow for legal action if the law is not followed. This is one tool we can use to ensure income tax receipts are properly deposited,” stated Vice Speaker Terlaje.

View Bill 290-34 (COR) here:
http://www.guamlegislature.com/Bills_Introduced_34th/Bill%20No.%20290-34%20(COR).pdf

Vice Speaker Terlaje’s Statement on 6th Annual Programmatic Agreement Workshop

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 24, 2018– Hagåtña)-

Today, at the invitation of the State Historic Preservation Office, I attended the 6th Annual Guam Programmatic Agreement Workshop. The annual PA Workshop is a meeting closed to the general public that is hosted by the Department of Defense to discuss DOD’s compliance with the Guam Programmatic Agreement relative to historic properties affected by DOD Buildup projects, with PA signatories-various leaders from the DOD regional command, and the President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Last year, I raised questions at the annual workshop as to unfulfilled promises in the PA relative to DOD buildup projects affecting historic properties, including a repository and a museum. DOD announced last month that the repository would be built at UOG pursuant to a grant.

At todays workshop, DOD announced that it was unable to deliver any funds for the promised museum complex, and that no federal agencies had additional congressional authority or discretionary funds to support construction of the Guam Museum.

I also reiterated concerns during the workshop that the avoidance of adverse impacts to historic sites is not being fully achieved and instead the “data recovery” which is the removal of a sampling of archaeologically relevant material, is the only option being utilized for several important historic sites. This includes the Northwest Field live fire training range location (adjacent to Ritidian/Litekyan), where over 100 historic sites have been discovered and 14 will not be protected.

Guam’s SHPO also raised objections relative to several military projects including, LFTRC (Live Fire Training Range, Northwest Field), Main Cantonment (Marine Base, Finegayan), Anderson South Training Complex, and Water Well Development (Anderson Air Force Base), invoking Stipulation XIII of the Programmatic Agreement, which requires parties 45 days to resolve objections.

I have sent a letter to the Governor detailing my concerns with the Programmatic Agreement, requesting that he address these concerns and halt clearing and construction, where historic properties and limestone forest habitat will be impacted.

Read Vice Speaker Terlaje’s Letter to the Governor:
Letter to Gov_PA Workshop and Issues

Senators Pass Bill to Authorize a Driving While Impaired (DWI) Treatment Court

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 23, 2018 – Hagåtña)
This afternoon the Legislature passed Bill No. 203-34 (LS) which will allow for the establishment of a DWI (Driving While Impaired) Treatment Court program to support the Judiciary’s efforts to reduce recidivism for medium and high-risk offenders, through the implementation of therapeutic treatment for addiction and rehabilitation.

Bill No. 203-34 (LS), referred to as the “Safe Streets Act of 2018”, was introduced by Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje and was initially drafted by the Judiciary of Guam’s DWI Treatment Court Executive Committee, Office of the Attorney General, Guam Public Defender Service Corporation, Alternative Public Defender, Office of Highway Safety Department of Public Works, Guam Police Department Guam Highway Patrol, Compiler of Laws, Department of Revenue and Taxation, and Department of Corrections.

The legislation continues to make it unlawful to drive while impaired by alcohol or controlled substance, or while having a blood alcohol content of .08 percent, or to drive under the influence of any substance that impairs a person’s physical or mental capabilities. The legislation also continues to mandate imprisonment, fines, and penalties for driving while impaired. Through the new Safe Streets Act of 2018, the DWI Treatment Court will be able to use tools like the breath alcohol ignition interlock device, penalties, and driving privileges to ensure DWI offenders are monitored and sentenced appropriately.

Terlaje stated, “These enhancements to the current law will give the Judiciary the tools it requested to properly address Driving While Impaired so that appropriate sanctions, incentives and therapeutic interventions are utilized to balance public safety concerns and stop repeated offenses of driving while impaired.”

For more information, please call the Office of Vice Speaker Therese M. Terlaje at (671) 472-3586.

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill 204-34 (COR) and Bill 222-34 (COR)

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 1, 2018 – Hagåtña)

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill 204-34 (COR):
I commend the students of Simon Sanchez for their persistent efforts over the years to implore the Governor, the legislature and their superintendent to act in their best interest. I stand beside them in demanding that they promptly get a school campus that is safe and conducive to learning. It is also my job to ensure that special, unprecedented procurement policy includes accountability and efficiency that the people of Guam deserve.

Bill 204 does not directly address what got us here in the first place, the failures to follow procurement rules and regulations and the lack of clarity on what GDOE wanted, so that the SSHS project and future projects can move forward protest free. This bill also does not improve centralized procurement to benefit all of the Government of Guam.

Another point of concern is that under Bill 204, the funding previously allocated for the construction of Simon Sanchez and to fund Capital Improvement Projects for many other and older schools is now dedicated to Simon Sanchez alone.

I voted yes on Bill 204. I hope that with this vote of confidence, GDOE will use this expanded procurement power and spending authority in a way that preserves some resources for the improvement of other schools and that future graduating classes of Simon Sanchez will be able to see that.

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill No. 222-34 (COR):
Encroachment has been occurring on this piece of government property without compensation since 1985. While this bill is meant to sell the parcel to the neighboring private business to attempt to address this encroachment, I do not believe the government should be in the business of selling off its land at the desire of private business owners without achieving justice for original landowners who after three generations from the US land takings are landless in their own home.

The amendment I proffered was intended to ensure the property would be surveyed and registered for the benefit of the government of Guam, at cost to the purchaser of the parcel and not the government, but it failed and therefore I could not support the bill.

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on 2018 State of the Judiciary Address

“I commend the Chief Justice and the Judiciary for their leadership in ensuring our courts are fair, forward-thinking, and respond holistically to the needs of the community. The Chief Justice outlined many of the Judiciary’s successes today and I want to congratulate her and all of the hardworking staff of the courts on their accomplishments. I appreciate their commitment to using evidence-based best practices especially during a time when we need all branches of government to be as efficient and effective as possible. I look forward to our continued collaboration with the Judiciary to ensure the people of Guam have access to justice.”