William Don Parkinson (1942 – August 31, 2020) was an American Veteran and Sergeant of the Vietnam war, politician, and lawyer who served as Speaker of the Guam Legislature[1] from 1995 to 1997 and as Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party of Guam, he also served as a Senator for 7 consecutive terms, from 1983 to 1997.
Early life
Parkinson was born in 1942 in Idaho and served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.[2][3][4] He graduated from the University of Idaho law school.[5]
Committee on Electrical Power and Consumer Protection
Policy
Bills and public laws introduced
17th Guam Legislature - Introduced 16 bills,[17] 2 of which became public laws.[18] including Public Law 17-17, which established a 10 year alternative energy plan for Guam.[19]
18th Guam Legislature - Introduced 21 bills,[20] 1 of which became Public Law 18-26, which approved bond issues on behalf of 2 companies for the Guam Economic Development Authority and for which the Government of Guam disclaimed liability.[21]
19th Guam Legislature - Introduced 6 public laws,[22] including Public Law 19-31, which raised the minimum wage on Guam to $3.75 on January 1, 1989,[23] and Public Law 19-41 that requires that food, drugs, and consumer commodities be marked with an expiration date if recommended by the manufacturer or distributor.[24]
20th Guam Legislature - Introduced 73 bills,[20] 15 of which became public laws,[25] including Public Law 20-219 which provided a subsidy for essential power coverage.[26]
Unemployment insurance
Parkinson introduced unemployment insurance legislation during each of 5 terms: Bill 929 during the 19th,[27] Bill 285 during the 20th,[28] Bill 101 during the 21st,[27] Bill 123 during the 22nd,[27] and Bill 99 during the 23rd Guam Legislatures, respectively.[27]
Speaker of the 23rd Guam Legislature
It had been expected that Senator Thomas C. "Tom" Ada would be chosen by his colleagues as Speaker of the Guam Legislature, but a group of Democratic and Republican Senators elected Parkinson as Speaker, instead.[29][30][31]
Candidacy for Attorney General of Guam
Parkinson ran for Attorney General of Guam in 2002.[32] He placed 3rd in the general election in November with 15% of the vote.[33]
Personal life and death
Don Parkinson married Marina Parkinson and was the father of 7 children.[4] One of his children, William M. "Will" Parkinson, ran for the Guam Legislature and the Consolidated Commission on Utilities in 2018.[34][35] William Parkinson was later elected as a senator to the 37th Guam Legislature. [36]
Parkinson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the late 1980s. He died in the Philippines on August 31, 2020.[37][38]