Legislature takes 3-hour lunch break
By Jacob Nakamura
news@kanditnews.com
The Guam Legislature went into session at 10:35 a.m. - 35 minutes late - then recessed 25 minutes later to take a three-hour lunch break.
Speaker Tina Muna Barnes on Monday called senators into emergency session, which was supposed to start at 10 a.m. today. Legislative sources said senators would take up three bills relating to this year's election - Bills No. 330, 374, and 375.
In the 25 minutes senators were in session, they prayed, sang the National Anthem and the Guam Hymn, recited the Inifresi, approved the legislative journal, included letters and communications into today's official journal, placed Bill No. 330 on the agenda for debate, then recessed until 2 p.m.
Sen. Kelly Marsh Taitano, who is the author of Bill No. 330, asked for the recess because she wanted to give senators time during lunch to read a substitute version of the bill. Bill No. 330 would expand the meaning of absentee voting so that more people may vote by absentee ballot in this year's election.
The Legislature had not disseminated the bill to senators beforehand.
The bill is three pages, and three lines long, formatted on letter size paper at 1.5 point spaces between lines.
It was the second recess in the 25-minute session for the entire morning. The first recess was requested by Sen. Regine Biscoe Lee, who did not provide any reason for the request. Nearly 10 minutes were spent in recess, while legislative business was happening as the microphones were off.