By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Sen. Joanne Brown has taken a firm stand against misconduct within the 37th Guam Legislature, including advocating for accountability and condemning the troubling behavior exhibited by Sen. William Parkinson during a recent emergency session.
During legislative deliberations about critical funding for the Mayors’ Council of Guam, Guam Cancer Care, and other agencies, Parkinson made an inappropriate sexual gesture, which sparked outrage and condemnation from his colleagues and community leaders.
Brown highlighted the importance of dignity and civility in legislative deliberations: “While professionalism is essential, our conduct as public servants is paramount. The values we uphold in the Legislature—respect, integrity, and accountability—reflect our commitment to the people we serve.”
Brown’s remarks were echoed by Piti Mayor Jesse Alig, who expressed he was “appalled, outraged, and insulted” by Parkinson’s actions, emphasizing that such behavior undermines the very fabric of our community.
Brown’s call for accountability underscores the need for a political environment that promotes respectful dialogue, especially regarding vital community needs.
"Senator Parkinson's actions exemplify the pervasive culture of disrespect and entitlement that too often permeates our political institutions," Brown said. "His attempt to deflect criticism through disinformation only serves to reinforce the need for a collective call for action against behaviors that perpetuate a ho
She added that Parkinson’s attempt to characterize this blatant misconduct as a misunderstanding is not only disingenuous but also indicative of a troubling pattern of evasiveness. This tactic serves to shift the focus away from the seriousness of his actions, allowing him to evade accountability.
Brown reinforced the necessity for lawmakers to uphold the highest standards of conduct: “For the health of our democracy, we must maintain a space for respectful and constructive dialogue within our legislative halls. While tempers may escalate during intense deliberations, we must rise above these challenges and actively oppose toxic, intimidating environments that allow misogyny and disrespect to go unchecked.”
On Monday, Speaker Therese Terlaje introduced a resolution seeking to censure Parkinson for the "sexually explicit" gesture.
The measure, Resolution 579-37, is backed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers comprising Sens. Frank Blas Jr., Telo Taitague, Chris Barnett, Sabina Perez, Jesse Lujan and Joanne Brown.
"Senator Parkinson's disorderly, sexually explicit hand gesture during debate on Bill 355-37 caused significant inconvenience, annoyance and distress to some members of the legislative body and public who were present in the session hall, and can reasonably be construed as disorderly, sexually explicit conduct specifically directed against a female colleague, creating a hostile and inappropriate environment for women and men within the Legislature and setting a dangerous precedent for the treatment of women," Resolution 579 stated.
But with its introduction Monday - a day before the general election - the Democratic Party of Guam stated the resolution's timing is "meant to harm the ballot box" and distract people from more important matters on Guam, "like helping people feel safe in their homes, improving healthcare and education, and fighting for families struggling to get by."
Terlaje, Barnett and Perez are Democrats, while the remaining sponsors of Resolution 579 are Republican.
"Unfortunately, the party was not consulted by the sponsors of this resolution prior to introduction. There is a reason why senators adopted their standing rules, which set a deadline in July to file ethics complaints to combat electioneering and provide all senators due process and the opportunity to respond to complaints through a formal hearing," the Democratic Party of Guam stated in a release. (Guam Legislature)
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