Three days of events scheduled to install new Legislature
Published: January 8, 2013
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
The 30th Legislature will be sworn-in Monday on St. Thomas, but events for the public will take place territory-wide to surround the new Legislature taking office.
The events connected with the swearing-in of the 15 senators who will comprise the 30th Legislature start on Sunday on St. John, where the community is invited to a 4 p.m. pre swearing-in church service at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Cruz Bay, according to a statement the Legislature released.
The church service will be followed at 5 p.m. with a "Meet and Greet" at the St. John Legislative Annex.
On Monday, activities will move to St. Thomas, where the swearing-in ceremony will take place in accordance with local law. V.I. Code requires lawmakers to be sworn-in the second Monday in January.
The swearing-in ceremony, open to the public, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday on the David Monsanto Bandstand in Emancipation Garden.
Following the swearing-in, the senators will walk over to the Capitol Building to convene their first session - the purpose of which is to organize the 30th Legislature. The session is scheduled to start at noon in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall.
The 10 Democrats who were elected to the Senate announced a month ago that they would name Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone the president of the Legislature when it convenes.
They also named other Senate officers, including Donald Cole as the majority leader, and committee chairmanship assignments.
The organization of the Senate, though, still must be formalized with a vote during the first legislative session.
An ecumenical service at Frederick Lutheran Evangelical Church, just north of Emancipation Garden, on Monday morning before the swearing-in ceremony is not open to the public and will be by invitation only.
On St. Croix, the events surrounding the swearing-in of the 30th Legislature are slated for Jan. 16.
Those events will start at 10 a.m., with an ecumenical service in the Friedensberg Moravian Church in Frederiksted.
The ecumenical service will be followed by an 11:15 a.m. meet-and-greet with senators at the St. Croix Legislative Complex.
Members of the 30th Legislature are Craig Barshinger, Judi Fricks-Buckley, Diane Capehart, Cole, Kenneth Gittens, Clifford Graham, Alicia Hansen, Myron Jackson, Malone, Terrence Nelson, Nereida Rivera-O'Reilley, Clarence Payne, Tregenza Roach, Sammuel Sanes and Janette Millin-Young.
All members are inviting the entire Virgin Islands community to come witness all public events that will welcome in the 30th Legislature, according to the statement.
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
