32ND LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

REAPPORTIONMENT IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS LEGISLATURE
EDITORIAL:  V.I. PRESS ROOM STAFF WRITER

January 25, 2017

       In 1936 when the Organic Act was written into law for the Territory, the US Congress provided our roadmap to create a single Territorial government with a single legislature.  Prior to this time, each island had a separate and independent municipal council. A joint legislative assembly also existed.[1]  Then in 1954 the Revised Organic Act was considered to be a new and up to date charter of government and it organized the senate as follows:  3 senators from St. Croix, 3 from St. Thomas and 1 from St. John.  These District senators would only be voted on by the residents of these three districts.  Four more senators who can reside on any island were to be “at large” and require a majority of all the people in the territory to vote them into office.

This was a good formula to balance the local interests of the day to day lives of the citizens.  Interests like roads in the neighborhoods and trash pickup to name a few local issues.  These seven senators made up two thirds of the power of this body. The other one third of the senate were voted into office by the entire territory.  These at large lawmakers focused on the broad territorial issues like attracting appropriate economic activity to the right communities.  This differentiation in the legislature mimicked the two houses of the US Congress with its Senate and House of Representatives balancing each other as they still do today.

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       Perhaps the time is right for a reset to this 1954 configuration with eleven total senators. We would slash our legislative budget and get a whole new dynamic to tackle the modern problems we face today. It appears a reset is as close as the Virgin Islands Code that lists all our governing laws.  There is a political tool called “initiative and recall”.  It was provided to us through the Revised Organic Act of 1954 by the US Congress to shape and organize our own legislature.  The Initiative process gives us the roadmap for reducing the size of the senate and enacting some rational strategies.  Time is of the essence to try something different and start climbing out of the economic slump we have been wallowing in for several generations!

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       One question only in the form of a yes or a no?  The question could be, yes or no, Should the Virgin Islands adopt the configuration of the Senate as it was accepted in 1954?  If not now, when do we put the brakes on this outrageously expensive government that is draining us year after year while we bump along, buying substandard produce, paying way too much for electricity, and accept mediocre service from our elected representatives.  Why do we accept the poor performances of many in the executive branch? Why do we accept in some cases totally inept commissioners?

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       If you agree that we need a change, the formula for installing a senate identical to the one created in 1954 is a matter of utilizing the initiative process shown above.  It is from section 1593, Chapter 12, Title 48, Subchapter 4 of the Virgin Islands Code. [2]  Be informed and take a stand!  Our government is only as good as the people who support it.

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       Where are the ambitious young attorneys to draft up the petition needed to put this proclamation through the channels, get the signatures, and place on the legislative calendar? There are events throughout the Virgin Islands for citizens to get together and advocate for appropriate measures to help our future look brighter.

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[1] http://www.legvi.org/history/

[2] http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title48/chapter12/subchapter4&edition=prelim