Dec. 12, 2001 – Although it ground away until after 10 p.m. Tuesday, the Senate didn't complete its agenda in the single day that Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd had announced that morning as his goal. The lawmakers were back in session again Wednesday to finish several bills special ordered to an already heavy agenda.
The rezoning of 365 acres at Botany Bay and the passage of Sen. Emmett Hansen II's gun-control bill were Tuesday's most prominent accomplishments, but a variety of less-controversial measures also were passed, dealing with topics ranging from the licensing of naturopathic medicine practitioners to election reform to the building of an auto racing drag strip.
Sen. David Jones's bill providing for the licensure of naturopathic physicians came under some fire. Naturopaths use herbs and other natural remedies as alternative medical treatment.
Sen. Carlton Dowe said, "I can support this measure if we allow the medical people to come and testify. If I must err, let me err on the side of caution." Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel said, "This is one of the hardest bills that will come before the body today. These doctors should come forward from the very beginning, if they had a problem."
Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste spoke for the measure. "This is a fight about money," he said. "I deal strictly with alternative medicines, and it has worked well for me."
Jones, in an effort to appease opponents within the mainstream medical fields, amended his bill to give a medical doctor and a pharmacist seats on the proposed five-member naturopath governing board. The measure passed, 7-6, with Sens. Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Carlton Dowe, Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards voting no. Sen. Roosevelt David abstained, and Sen. Adelbert Bryan was absent for the vote.
A bill to transfer property donated by the Harthman family to the Housing, Parks and Recreation Department for automobile racing was approved. Liburd, one of the bill's sponsors, had said earlier that the Harthman family "wants to give back to the community."
"They are willing to give a new road to the government at no cost because they understand the plight of the youngsters who want to race," Liburd had said. "The strip of Brookman Road on which the racing track would be built will be replaced with a new road, from the concrete company all the way down to the wreck shop."
On Nov. 8, the Senate approved the rezoning of 27 acres of land owned by the Harthman family behind Tutu Park Mall from agricultural to commercial, paving the way for its development.
In Tuesday's deliberations, the Senate also approved:
– Sen. Celestino A. White's bill to ban campaigning after 2 a.m. on a primary or general election day. The bill first was amended to allow political parties to select their party leaders by caucus or convention.
– Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen's bill aimed at keeping foreign sales corporations from leaving the Virgin Islands, by lowering the territory's franchise taxes and fees.
Among the many bills up for consideration Wednesday were the Child Protection Act of 2001, which would increase penalties for aggravated rape; amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code to bring it into compliance with that of most of the states; and the transfer of street lighting responsibility from the Public Works Department to the Water and Power Authority.
