74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesSENATORS BATTER PART-TIME SENATE PROPOSAL

SENATORS BATTER PART-TIME SENATE PROPOSAL

If nothing else, the proposal by Sens. Vargrave Richards and Gregory Bennerson to make the Legislature part-time has certainly gotten everyone's attention—senators, that is.
Twelve of the 15 Virgin Islands legislators joined with nearly as many testifiers and a gallery of more than two dozen for the public hearing on St. Thomas Wednesday evening sponsored by the Government Operations Committee. Many of those testifying felt the bill was a shaky move forward toward governmental reform. But none of the senators present apart from the bill's sponsors had anything good to say about it.
The majority of testifiers echoed the sentiments of resident Michael Burton, who provided some context in the form of figures on legislative salaries and per diems elsewhere in the United States. "This bill needs massaging," Burton said, "but it is a step in the right direction, in accordance with other states and territories in the U.S."
He said the bill as written—limiting the legislative session to 90 days each year and making salaries $30,000 a year rather than the current $65,000—would still make V.I. senators among the best-paid in the country, where the average salary is about $25,000 a year and the average per diem near $65 a day.
Erva Denham, president of the V.I. League of Women Voters, pointed out what she felt was the bill's incompleteness and vague language and enumerated a dozen or so questions raised by the bill. She also brought up an issue that would be tossed around for much of the evening by skeptical senators. "If the Legislature's duties could be reduced by adding another small layer of government in the form of ombudsmen or person who perform as a city manager would, then this bill would make sense," she said, "as the electorate would have someone to call other than a favorite Senator to take care of day-to-day problems."
Representing the civic group People's Link, former legislative chief counsel Amos W. Carty Jr. called on senators to consider the bill as part of a three-pronged approach to reform, along with congressional legislation enabling V.I. residents to determine the number of senators and establishing either single-member districts or numbered seats.
Among the first batch of testifiers, only local businessman Neal Weiss came out squarely against the proposal.
"The whole bill is totally without reality," Weiss said. "It creates an untenable situation, in which senators would have to campaign while holding down another job for nine months out of the year. This is not the National Guard—this is the Senate."
Co-sponsor Richards pointed out that "there is a myth that 90 days is the only time senators would be working." Committee meetings would continue year-round, he said, as would responsibilities of the legislative staff. Richards said he had no objection to the creation of some form of municipal government in the form of ombudsmen, city managers or the like.
But other senators found the proposal to be little more than a legislative pinata to be battered and smashed. Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg called it "a total farce" and "a pre-election tool" unlike, he said, his own earlier legislation to reduce senatorial salaries.
Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole called testifier Burton on the carpet, quizzing him on the structure of U.S. state legislatures versus the V.I. Senate and stating "It's like comparing apples and oranges."
Like Sen. Lorraine Berry, her colleagues sounded the same theme again and again. "I support comprehensive reform," Berry said. "But I do not support this bill." Sen. Roosevelt David called it a "piecemeal approach that would create more problems than it would solve."
Put on the defensive, Richards reiterated statements he made last week when he called the bill a "basic framework for the reform we so desperately need. It provides a format for discussion and further shaping."
"'Comprehensive.' 'Holistic.' 'Total,'" Richards said Wednesday. "These are the code words one hears when change is about to come but no change is wanted."
Among others testifying were interim president of the St. Thomas-St. John American Federation of Teachers Vernelle deLagarde, who excoriated the Senate for even considering the part-time proposal when teachers are said to be on the verge of territory-wide strikes.
"The more things change, the more they stay the same," deLagarde said. "What are the priorities of the Senate? Has education been thrown out the window?"
Central Labor Council President Luis "Tito" Morales backed up deLagarde's stance, adding that other unions were prepared to support teachers. Also among those testifying were Senate candidates Charles Balch and Arturo Watlington Jr. and former Lt. Gov. Derek Hodge.
Sens. Violet Anne Golden, Norman Jn Baptiste and Allie-Allison Petrus were the only legislators who were not at the hearing.
St. John residents will be able to air their views on the part-time Senate proposal at 6 p.m. Thursday evening in the Legislative Conference Room in Cruz Bay; a 6 p.m. Tuesday hearing is scheduled on St. Croix in the Legislative Conference Room there.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.