Ethics commission could get more autonomy to conduct investigations
By Joe Taitano II
View Comments
In an effort to prevent outside influence on ethics investigations, the Guam Ethics Commission could get increased authority over its budget and exemptions from certain fiscal controls through a last minute amendment made during Tuesday s session.
Sen. Joe San Agustin produced a series of amendments to Bill 85, reaffirming the independence of the Commission, that were passed on the legislature floor.
Bill 85, introduced by San Agustin, explicitly states that the Ethics Commission will be an independent and autonomous body. It also requires the appointment of an executive director for the commission, and outlines responsibilities for the director such as ensuring that investigations and hearings on ethics violations are conducted, and hiring and dismissing staff.
Lawmakers held a public hearing on Monday for a bill that would legalize the sale and ownership of firearm suppressors on Guam.
If passed, Bill 73-36 would remove wording from the Guam Code Annotated which explicitly prohibits the distribution or possession of any device meant to deaden the sound of a firearm discharging.
Entitled “The Hearing Protection Act of 2021,” it was drafted with the intention of allowing registered gun owners to utilize firearm suppressors in conjunction with other hearing protection devices when hunting or undergoing firearms training.
Section 1 of the Bill cited a Washington Post article which stated that the usage of a suppressor could reduce the sound produced by a gun as it fires by up to 30 decibels the difference between the sound of a jet airplane taking off and a jackhammer.