Legislature of Guam

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Guam

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Guam

Organic Act Governor Felix Camacho Legislature Political parties Elections: 2004 Villages See also: Politics of the U.S.

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The Legislature of Guam (Liheslaturan Guåhan in Chamorro) is the territorial legislature of Guam. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, serving for a two year term. All members of the Legislature are elected from a single multimember district.

The Guam Legislature meets in the territorial capital of Hagåtña (formerly Agana).

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Spanish Period: 1668-1898 1.2 The American Period: 1898-1941, 1944-today 2 The Legislature 2.1 Make-up of the Legislature 3 Latest elections 4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] The Spanish Period: 1668-1898

During the Spanish colonial era, lasting roughly from the 1670s until 1898, Guam was provided with no colonial legislature. All political decisions on the island were left to a Madrid-appointed governor, who, until 1817, reported to the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico. Due to New Spain's distance from Guam and the speed of transportation of the times, Guam's leadership often took matters into its own hands. During the Mexican War of Independence, when Spain increasingly saw New Spain falling through its grip, Madrid transferred Guam's political authority to the Governor of Manila, and after 1821, fully to the Spanish Philippines.

[edit] The American Period: 1898-1941, 1944-today

Spain lost control of Guam during the 1898 Spanish American War in a bloodless invasion. For the next forty years, the United States Navy assumed executive control of the island, treating it more as a military outpost than an overseas territory, with little to no civilian say in the island's affiars. On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces invaded Guam, beginning a three year occupation of the island. The island was eventually retaken in 1944 during the intense Battle of Guam.

Following the end of the war, the U.S. Navy attempted to resume military control of the islands, much to the dismay of the local Chamorro population who demanded greater rights on the heels of the harsh Japanese occupation. The U.S. federal government listened. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950 signed by President Harry S. Truman. The act established a civilian territorial government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It was the first time that Guam had a democratic civilian government.

The Guam Organic Act provided for the establishment of the Guam Legislature, a unicameral body with 21 senators. Following a revision in the territory's law in 1996, the Legislature was reduced from 21 to 15 senators in an attempt to cut over-representation.

[edit] The Legislature

The Guam Legislature carries on many of the same powers and duties as many U.S. territorial and state legislatures. The Legislature is noted as being one of the four rare unicameral legislatures in the United States, along with the Nebraska Legislature, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, and the Council of the District of Columbia.

The Guam Legislature is currently controlled by the Republican Party. The current Speaker is Mark Forbes.

[edit] Make-up of the Legislature

Affiliation		Members
	Republican Party	9
	Democratic Party	6
Total		15
Government Majority		3

[edit] Latest elections

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 2 November 2004 Guam Legislature election results

Parties	Votes	%	Seats
Republican Party	228 177	51.8	9
Democratic Party	211 904	48.1	6
Total (Note Guam runs open primary style elections)	440 313	100%	15
Source: Guam Election Commission [1]

In the november 2004 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans presently hold 9 seats (Speaker Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Joanne Salas Brown, Majority Leader Ray Tenorio, Majority Whip Jesse Anderson Lujan, Lawrence Kasperbauer, Antonio R. Unpingco, Edward B. Calvo, Michael Cruz and Robert Klitzkie). The Democrats hold six seats (Frank B. Aguon Jr., Lou Leon Guerrero, Adolpho Palacios, Benjamin Cruz, Judith Won Pat Borja and Rory Respicio).

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Sen. Robert Klitzkie

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