Senate President Vargrave Richards forwarded the 35 FY 2000 budget appropriations bills Monday to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull for the governor's approval.
The Legislature's budget process wrapped up on Friday, Nov. 5 with a $450 million budget, $13 million in excess of what was mandated by a memorandum of understanding between Turnbull and the Department of the Interior.
Despite heated debate in the senate, most of the bills were passed by a vote of 13 to one. Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen was absent for the process because of her involvement in a lawsuit against Beal Areospace Industries on St Croix. Sen. Adelbert M. Bryan provided the dissenting vote.
In explaining the two week delay in sending the bills to the governor, Richards said, "Computer problems compounded by the subsequent storm led to the delay in forwarding the bills at an earlier date."
"These bills represent several months of careful analysis and projection in an effort to bring some measure of balance to the government's annual budget. The Legislature has meticulously analyzed and gathered supporting information in its attempt to present a budget which will continue effective government operations."
