Just because the Virgin Islands electorate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for a smaller Legislature doesn't mean the senators they put in office will give them one.
Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, whose initiative called for the referendum in the first place, will introduce legislation to downsize the Legislature from its current 15 members to nine, an aide said this week.
But at least two of his colleagues – incumbent Sens. Donald Cole and Adelbert Bryan – said Friday they will oppose any such move. Other senators-elect either could not be reached for comment or did not return telephone calls.
As a student of political science and a student of history, Cole said, "I see serious concerns with a nine-person Legislature."
Unless the law is also amended concerning the veto power of the governor, Cole said it would take only six senators – two-thirds of the total nine – to override a gubernatorial veto.
"You're going to have a power centered in the Legislature with no checks and balances," he said.
Cole said he believes people voted for a reduction because "they believe that a smaller Legislature is going to be more productive." But he argued that a better way to cut costs is for senators to trim their spending.
And, he said, there was not enough education on the issue before the referendum.
"We had a straw poll," Cole said, adding that he does not believe the vote is binding.
Tortola, with a population of 25,000, has 13 lawmakers, he said. "They just increased their representation by four at-large senators."
"This population here needs 15 senators," Bryan said. "I'm not lowering the size of the Legislature."
Bryan said he is also against districting and numbered seats; he would prefer to see all 15 senators elected at-large.
The unofficial vote tally on the referendum was 14,949 for a reduction, 2,120 for retaining the status quo. Of the 14,949, 12,589 voted for nine members and 2,826 voted for 11 members.
