Senator Alma Francis Heyliger Pens Letter to Senate President to request convening a Committee of the Whole Hearing on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS - In a letter dated August 13, 2021, Senator Alma Francis Heyliger wrote the President of the 34th Legislature requesting a Committee of the Whole Hearing. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and let members of the community be heard as it pertains to the unvaccinated vs. the vaccinated. “It is clear that there are issues concerning the vaccine mandates taking place in our community that is causing contention in places of business, our government, the hospitals and our institutions of learning, “Francis Heyliger said. “As representatives we must confront this issue as we are elected representatives of all of our citizens.” The letter seeks to request the meeting to take place at the earliest possible time according to the rules of the 34th Legislature. Proper notice must be given to invited testifiers, proper notice to the public and the availability of the senate calendar must be considered. With the uptake of the COVID-19 virus it is quite possible that such a meeting will be conducted virtually. This written request is the first step in the process. If the senate president opts to ignore the request, there are other options. According to the rules of the 34th Legislature any Senator can petition the body to convene if a majority of the members are in agreement. The majority threshold of the 34th Legislature is eight.