Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, the soon-to-be president of the 24th Legislature, has informed Gov. Charles W. Turnbull that the choice of Jan. 16 for the State of the Territory address is unacceptable.
In a letter dated Jan. 5, Liburd said, "Unfortunately, your proposed date of Jan. 16 is not a workable date for the body." He did not say why.
Turnbull announced the postponement of his address, which is traditionally given the day the new Legislature is sworn in, because he will be in Atlanta receiving the ninth annual Trumpet Award from the Turner Broadcasting System. Turnbull selected the Jan. 16 date instead.
The Government House release announcing the change said that while the Revised Organic Act calls for the governor to deliver the State of the Territory address at the annual opening of the Legislature, the law provides that another mutually agreeable date can be chosen if there is a conflict. (See earlier story "Award delays state of territory address.) The 24th Legislature will be sworn in at 10 a.m. Monday.
But Liburd said "there is no provision in the Organic Act for the substitution of a mutually agreeable date for the State of the Territory address," adding he had openly stated his objection to the postponement at a meeting at Government House.
"Delivering our State of the Territory address should be your number one priority," Liburd wrote. However, "in the spirit of cooperation," Liburd offered four other dates that would be acceptable: Jan. 29, Jan. 30, Feb. 5 or Feb. 6.
Government House spokesman James O'Bryan said Saturday afternoon that the governor, who was due to leave the territory "either this afternoon or tomorrow," had not yet seen Liburd's letter.
A phone call to Liburd to find out why Jan. 16 is not workable had not been returned as of publication.
