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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesSENATE HAS ITS OWN EARLY RETIREMENT BILL

SENATE HAS ITS OWN EARLY RETIREMENT BILL

The published Senate calender for the week notwithstanding, the 23rd Legislature did not convene Tuesday before taking its annual break for V.I. Carnival. Thus unfinished business from Monday night will await the lawmakers when they return to work next week.
Tuesday's most talked-about piece of pending legislation was a portion of a massive bill full of revisions to government employee retirement regulations that would let the senators themselves retire at full salary after six terms, or 12 years, in the Legislature. After just two terms, or four years, senators could retire at 40 percent of their salary.
Radio talk show commentary on the proposal Tuesday ranged from incredulity to outrage. Some callers suggested that any Senator who supported the idea even as massive layoffs loom because of the government's fiscal crisis could be looking at retirement come November.
Another touchy topic on Monday's agenda that went unaddressed before adjournment is a bill to reallocate the $34 million the Virgin Islands is scheduled to receive as a part of a U.S. government settlement with the tobacco industry. The Senate previously approved dividing the proceeds between health care and the Union Arbitration Fund. The bill now before the body would amend that to channel all of the money into health care, including cancer care.
Before adjourning Monday night, the Legislature:
· Approved a bill asking the U.S. Interior Department to give the V.I. government four acres of property in Estate Wintberg on St. Thomas, to be used as a public park.
· Approved amending the V.I. Code regarding the make-up of the Health Consumer Complaint Review Committee so that no more than two members may be residents of the same island.
· Approved a measure for police to offer up to $50,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest of people involved in drive-by shootings when the victim dies, and up to $25,000 in cases of injury but not death.
· Appropriated $600,000 for public transportation, $500,000 for improvement and maintenance of fire stations and $350,000 for development of land for veterans' use.
The bills will be sent to Gov. Charles Turnbull.

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