HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas is looking to expand the Guam Legislature, asserting that reverting to a 21-member lawmaking body gives the public more of a voice in local government and increased oversight.
A proposal from San Nicolas introduced Monday, Bill 157-37, would add six more senators to the body, returning that branch of government to its makeup from 1999 and prior.
“This is a very important bill for me because I want our legislative body to reflect the strata of our society,” San Nicolas told The Guam Daily Post. “I believe that if we had more senators – and it’s more representative of the society – I think that’s a good thing for the island.”
Residents of Guam elected to cut the number of senators to 15 following a voter initiative launched by the 23rd Guam Legislature back in 1996, legislative records show. There have been numerous proposals and arguments made for and against returning to 21 members since the change took effect in the 25th Legislature.
Bill 157 notes that Guam was served by 21 senators for most of the time the Legislature has existed, a full 48 years. The population has likewise grown in the meantime, the bill states.
“The population of Guåhan during the time our island had 21 senators was also much smaller compared to the population now, implying and meaning that our island was much better represented by our legislative body,” said San Nicolas. “And was undoubtedly better served as well, as our residents had more elected officials to voice their concerns to.”
Guam’s population has grown from 105,979 residents in 1980 to 153,836 in 2020, based on census data compiled by the Bureau of Statistics and Plans.
More senators would also mean more oversight of local government from the Legislature, which would be accountable to voters, San Nicolas asserts in his bill.
“With 21 senators, there will be more officials to oversee the many agencies of our government, which would create more efficient and focused committees to pressure these agencies into fulfilling their mission to the people,” said the senator.
$1M in potential costs
The measure does not identify a funding source for the salaries of the additional senators or the staff that would need to be hired for their offices.
Gross pay for a senator is listed at $55,307.20 annually on the Legislature’s staffing pattern, putting the annual cost for six more senators at $331,843.20 – before benefits are factored in.
Lawmakers don’t work alone, either.
Documents show the Office of Sen. Joanne Brown, which will spend the least on staffing this year with just two employees, still has to shell out $104,984.55 on an annual basis for salaries and benefits, not including Brown’s salary.
Though an official note on the fiscal impact of the measure hasn’t been issued by the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, the measure could cost around $1 million a year if trends shown in legislative staffing records bear out.
The expansion, however, would require funds for more than just personnel. The Legislature paid on average $29,000 a year in rent for senatorial office space in fiscal year 2022, according to a report released last year by the Office of Public Accountability. Additional space for the extra six lawmakers, which usually is in either Tamuning or Hagåtña, could cost $174,000 annually, based on those numbers.
When asked how he would fund adding six senators to the local legislative body, San Nicolas told the Post, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“That’s going to take effect next fiscal year, should (the bill) go through,” he said.
According to the freshman lawmaker, he consulted appropriations Chair Sen. Joe San Agustin about the matter.
“(San Agustin) said that we will deal with that budget,” San Nicolas said. “It’s just a matter of appropriation. … They’ve allowed for 15 senators. We can do (it) for (six) more. It’s just a matter of getting there.”
San Nicolas said he plans to let his colleagues mull the measure over first. As of Tuesday, he is the only lawmaker to sponsor the proposal.
Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas speaks during session June 29, 2023, at the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña.
