In Rebuke To Gov. Mapp, V.I. Senators Send All Special Session Bills To Committee
ST. THOMAS — A special Senate session called by Governor Kenneth Mapp that included eight bills for consideration, caused revulsion from both majority and minority caucus lawmakers, with virtually all legislators contending that the bills — among them a measure to appropriate $3 million to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for emergency sewage and drainage repairs — included a myriad of errors, were rushed and therefore not ready.
“Governor Mapp has sent a very strong message to the Legislature with this special session. He said ‘ah yuh ain’t doing ah yuh wuk,” said Senator Janette Millin Young, speaking briefly in local dialect. “What an offense.” She said she wrote the governor requesting that they meet, even if they don’t get along. However, Mr. Mapp appeared to have suggested to the senator that there was no contention between them.” Mrs. Millin Young had apparently requested some information in part relative to the measures that were before the body on Wednesday. “But we still did not get the information. The information we requested didn’t come,” she said.
“And here we are in a Committee of the Whole, thinking and telling the public that the committee process is not important,” Mrs. Millin said, suggesting that Mr. Mapp expected the measures to be ratified without going to the various committees.
“So are we to say that we should not meet in committee? That everything should just be rammed through? Bypass the whole process? Mrs. Millin Young asked rhetorically. She then mentioned Alexander Farrelly, a former governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, calling him one of her favorite leaders. She said Mr. Farrelly had the opposite problem with the Legislature during his time: He thought they were rushing the legislative process. “He said ‘hurry dog eat raw meat,’ and I don’t want that on our menu today” Mrs. Millin said.
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