Senator refuses to disenfranchise other passengers; Finance dominates Senate Calender

The 34th Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands has adopted an aggressive calendar of events dominated by the Finance Committee for the week ending Friday, July 2, 2021.The budget cycle is in full swing as the end of the fiscal year is approaching.

On Monday lawmakers made their way to the sister island of St. Croix to conduct field and site visits organized by the Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee chaired by Senator Novelle E. Francis. While all lawmakers had the opportunity to participate one of their colleagues from St. Thomas, a member of the committee could not participate due to travel interruptions.

Senator Alma Francis Heyliger described her experience, “I was told that the flight I was scheduled to be on was overbooked. The customer service representative assured the freshman Senator the situation can be handled. “I was thinking not only of what was said but what that would mean, the Senator described. “To me, that would mean that another passenger would be bumped to allow a seat for me, and I was not comfortable doing that, Francis Heyliger empathized.

The tours included stops at the Island Therapy Solutions and the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center. The Committee tours were organized to get an up close and personal look at the facilities to identify improvements and challenges they may still be encountering.

On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at 9 a.m. at the Earle B. Legislative Hall on St. Thomas the Finance Committee will quarry one of the Bryan/Roach newer Cabinet member when they welcome the Honorable Derek Gabriel, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works. He will present of defense of the department’s 2022 budget request of $26,497.194 from the General Fund. Director Dayna Clendenin, the Director of the Division of Personnel will present her justifications for her division’s budget request of 44,455,700 appropriations from the General Fund.

On Wednesday, the Finance committee will convene at 9 a.m. at of the Frits E. Lawaetz Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix to here from the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and the Frederiksted Health Care, Inc. to hear budget requests and fiscal status of both facilities. Dyma Williams, CPHRM, RN, MJ, BSN and Masserae Sprauve Webster will testify, respectively.

The Finance Committee will return to the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall toe here budget request from the Department of Sports Parks & Recreation Commissioner Calvert White and Angel Morales, the President of the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee. The Office of the Adjutant General MG Kodjo S. Knox-Limbacker, the Adjutant General will present his budget and close out the week of hearings as Friday will be reserved for constituent meetings and office work.