During the days leading up to the vote on the override of Bill 48, Senator Tina Muna Barnes approached her mother for advice on a matter of great consequence. The reorganization of the courts was a tough consideration that tugged at Muna Barnes’ heart. It is the toughest bill she has considered since becoming a senator because she has a child, siblings and cousins working in various departments of the Superior Court of Guam. She also realizes its time to make changes at the court.

Ann Muna told her daughter, “I don’t raise my kids to make their decisions for them. You are the only one who can make your decision and sleep with that decision. You have to vote your conscience and consider your heart.”

“Mom,” Muna Barnes said, “Can you tell me you’ll love me no matter what I decide.” Ann Muna answered, “I love all my children.” Muna Barnes said, “Mom, even if it means my sisters or my family will be angry with me?”

Ann reassured her daughter, “Tina, please be strong, I know it hurts. I know it’s not easy.” Muna Barnes replied, “Mom, if I vote not based on principal but based on familial ties, it would be defeating the right purpose of wanting to make the chance for all the right reasons.”

Senator Tina Rose Muna Barnes has experienced the difficulty of voting on a controversial bill. She is serving her first term as senator in the 27^th Guam Legislature at a time when government finances are tight - creating the need for elimination of services, consolidating departments and furloughing individuals, is a reality.

Despite her reservations regarding the procedural aspects of the reorganization, Muna Barnes voted for the passage of Bill 48 and the override. “I’d like to see voting from both sides, and some compromise made to see if forcing the two parties at the court together will make a difference,” said, Muna Barnes after the vote. She continues, “If the Supreme Court makes the accommodations and it fails in the legislature, then its downright political patronage that holds the current system in place.”

Muna Barnes said she believes the Supreme Court should be separate but defended her actions by saying, “It should be left alone, but in the spirit of integrating, streamlining government operations, reprioritizing, working with the government constraints to save our government, and to establish three co-equal branches of government, I had to vote yes on the override.”

The Senator stressed, “Times are changing, and political parties are changing. Political patronage should not be the way to run our government anymore. It doesn’t always have to be party line; instead it could be what’s right for the majority, the people of Guam.”

Muna Barnes discussed the similarity with the judicial composition of the State of Utah and said if Guam were to follow Utah; a representative from the Guam Bar should break the tie on the judicial council, not the Attorney General. “The state that comes close to something we have is Utah, which has a representative from the local bar not the AG. So, let’s do that,” suggested the Senator of a way to resolve the power struggle over court operations.

“If we are serious about co-equal representation of the courts, then make it three-three and have the outside vote, the seventh vote, needed to break the tie - from the Guam Bar. And, if that doesn’t pass then you know there’s something really wrong.” She said, if the Supreme Court really wants the landmark legislation, "Then they should take the compromise and make it work."

Muna Barnes said on the matter of equal representation, “Tony Sanchez went in and supported it on behalf of Lamorena and the only one who came in opposition of it was Judge Katherine Maraman."

Lobbying efforts on both sides of the courts has been active. The pressure was not only placed on Muna Barnes on the vote of the override. Her sister and daughter came down during the legislative session to watch the vote. Tony Sanchez's mother accompanied him to the legislature on Friday and together watched closely the activities of the august body listening intently to their discussions of the override.  Present also to observe in the interest of the Supreme Court was administrator Dan Tydingco.

Personal interest in the actions of the legislature is not unique to the behavior of family and friends of the Courts. The Pacific Daily News showed a photo of executives Carl Peterson and others holding signs in protest of the gross receipts tax increase in the public hearing room last Friday obviously attempting to impress their case before senators.

Businesspersons and employees of hotels and tourism related industries, entrepreneurs and even socially dependent residents from time to time make their way down to the legislature in an attempt to influence the senators’ vote on different bills that go before the body for a vote. Its democracy in action.

Even governors, Camacho and those before him, Lt Governors, attorney generals, banking and insurance executives and the media lobby for or against bills of special interest. Even anglers cast nets at the legislature in an attempt to snag a few votes.

Muna Barnes said what helped her most was reflecting on the prayer Father Eric Forbes delivered before the session. “I can’t repeat the prayer exactly as he said it, but I felt in my heart, the prayer was meant for me. He said, the reason we were elected by the people was to vote what will be best for the community and not just the select few. He had nicer words to express the thoughts than what I am saying here.”

“Rlene, I was elected by the people. If this was going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for me, then I was willing to give it all up to do what is right. I’ve been asked what I said on the floor before the vote,” I said, “For all that is right Mr. Speaker… I vote yes.”

“Times are changing; this is a time that we need everyone to integrate. We can have the third branch of government integrate and become one and work together. That cause I will work with.” Said Muna Barnes.

“Family is what we are all about, it’s what makes us strong,” said the senator. However, Muna Barnes believes it is time to make the change, “It’s hard because family is cultural, but I am not there (legislature) for personal interest. I am not there for personal agendas. I am not there for a stake in the activities of the legislature. The people voted for me and it is what’s right for the people as a whole that I must decide. When I was put in the legislature, the people of Guam became my family.”

Measuring up her activities so far, “I continue to be tested in as far as voting for speaker, working to make things right in the legislature, to bring about peace within the branches and to restore respect to the administration it deserves – something that was stripped away in the past. That’s what it’s all about for me,” said Muna Barnes.

The Muna Barnes family members who are employed at the Superior Court are Tiffany Rose Muna Barnes - daughter, Lynette Muna Perez - sister, Jason Muna – brother, and about 10 other relatives. All of them she said, “All of them were hired before I was elected to serve in the legislature. But it still wasn’t easy.”