Sept. 11, 2002 – The V.I. Technology Enterprise Act of 2001 and 10 board nominations sailed through the Senate Rules Committee Tuesday with flying colors.
The committee, meeting on St. Croix, voted unanimously to approve the nominees for three different boards as well as the technology bill. The technology bill, which first surfaced in the 23rd Legislature, was passed then, only to be vetoed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
The bill establishes a Bureau of Information Technology which would develop a comprehensive technology strategy for the V.I. government covering at least five years, to be updated annually. It would consolidate various government entities' acquisition of information technology under one umbrella.
The strategy would include the centralizing of data centers and would afford the public computer access to public records in all three branches of the government, while protecting confidential government information.
Roy McFarlane, the governor's special assistant for information technology, said at a Senate Economic Development, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee in August that the bill "would send a message throughout the world that the U.S. Virgin Islands is on board as it relates to technology — and wants their business." (See "Panel approves 2 parts of huge technology bill".)
It was decided at that meeting to expedite the measure by approving the first two parts of the 114-page bill, while reserving the balance for further study.
The nominees approved were:
– Enrico V. Gasperi to the V.I. Conservation District, St. Croix.
– Roger Dewey, Claire Roker, Karen Thurland and Reuben Vessup to the V.I. Council on the Arts, St. Croix.
– Jose Raul Carrillo, Glenn "Kwabena" Davis, Vernon Finch and Lucinda Schutt to the V.I. Council on the Arts, St. Thomas-St. John.
– Maria del Carmen Garrido to Psychology Examiners board, St. Croix.
Committee members attending the meeting were the chair, Sen. Carlton Dowe; and Sens. Donald "Ducks" Cole, Alicia "Chucky" Hansen and Almando "Rocky" Liburd. Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel was excused, and Sens. Adelbert Bryan and Celestino A. White Sr. were absent. Sen. Emmett Hansen II, a non-member, also attended.
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