Oct. 24, 2006 — Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's recent approval of a bill that gives judges an extra 60 days on the bench after their terms have expired will also give senators a few more months to act on the renominations of sitting Superior Court judges Brenda J. Hollar, Patricia Steele and Audrey L. Thomas.
In a letter sent to Senate President Lorraine L. Berry about his decision, Turnbull wrote that he approved the bill because of the attached "sunset clause," which makes the deadline applicable to judges whose terms expire before April 30, 2007.
At a recent Senate session, Sen. Ronald E. Russell, the bill's sponsor, said the clause was designed to "keep politics" out of the nomination and confirmation process. He also said that the bill acts as a "precautionary measure" which allows the Rules and Judiciary Committee to question, interview and investigate the nominees.
While V.I. law gives judges an extra 120 days to serve on the bench after their terms have expired, Russell has said there may not be enough time for nominations to be considered before a new Senate takes office in January.
"This bill allows the Legislature to act or move forward on the nominations whether or not a judge's term expires," he said during the Oct. 5 session. "And it corrects the late submission of nominations sent down by the governor."
The renominations of Hollar, Steele and Thomas were sent down by Turnbull late last month. If the bill were not signed into law, Thomas would not be able to serve on the bench after Nov. 5.
"I'm pleased that the governor has signed this bill into law as a protective measure for the judges," Russell said when contacted Tuesday evening. "And while it does take time for the Rules Committee to gather all the information on the nominees, we will try to schedule a hearing to address the judges, along with many of the individuals nominated for boards and commissions, as soon as possible."
Turnbull also approved a bill giving residents 30 days to replace temporary license plates. The bill, which was approved by the full Senate in June, also requires residents to make four copies of all temporary registration documents and allows the Motor Vehicle Bureau to charge a $25 fee.
