Jan. 8, 2007– Immediately after taking the oath of office on Monday, the 27th Legislature convened its first session and passed a bill that officially organizes the Senate for the next two years.
As expected, members of the Senate's minority, a five-member group headed by St. Croix Sen. Ronald E. Russell, opposed the bill, which designates members of the Legislature's new majority as committee chairs and liaisons to the White House, Congress and Department of the Interior.
Voting against the bill were Sens. Juan Figueroa-Serville, Louis P. Hill, Neville James, Basil Ottley Jr. and Russell. Voting in favor were majority Sens. Liston Davis, Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Norman Jn Baptiste, Shawn-Michael Malone, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Usie R. Richards, James Weber III, Carmen M. Wesselhoft, Celestino A. White Sr. and Alvin L. Williams.
Figueroa-Serville, though a member of the minority, will be heading the Senate's Committee on Labor and Agriculture.
While senators disagreed on the bill, diplomacy still reigned during the session, presided over by Senate President Usie R. Richards. Many during the meeting stressed the idea of unity, with both majority and minority working together to set policy for the people of the territory.
"The minority intends to work with the majority," said Russell, the Senate's minority leader. "But we’re also going to give you checks and balances when necessary, and we're going to object and oppose you so the majority doesn't run into tyranny."
The "minority is going to respect the majority," added Sen. Neville James.
"However, we want you to let us play, because it's the byplay that makes the Legislature what it is," he told Richards.
James, beginning his second term in office, also extended the olive branch to freshman senators Ottley, Weber, Wesselhoft and Williams. "As a freshman, you're so caught up in the emotion that sometimes you act a little crazy," he said. "Two years later, you're a bit more mature, and are able to understand the process a little better."
Senators also stressed the need to work hand in hand with the territory's top officials, including Gov. John deJongh, Lt. Gov. Gregory R. Francis and Delegate Donna M. Christensen, in solving such difficult issues as crime, revamping the local education system and providing health insurance to residents in the private sector.
"I have a heavy heart today," said Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, chair of the Senate's Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services. "I'm saddened by the number of things that have transpired in our community, by what I see happening. I'm not the same as I was eight years ago, and I will not be the same today as I will be tomorrow."
Jn Baptiste spoke of a recent killing on St. Croix, and said that residents should "respect each other," replacing "hatred with love."
In his new role as chair, Jn Baptiste added, he would increase residents' access to health care on holidays and weekends and would try to address the needs of the territory's homeless population.
Sen. Liston Davis, chair of the Senate's Committee on Education, Youth and Culture, said restructuring the local education system "is foremost in my mind." Davis, a former Commissioner of Education, also headed the committee in 2005, but was replaced by Malone after the Legislature reorganized in early 2006.
While the needs of the territory dominated Monday's session, senators also celebrated their new roles and honored friends, family members and past legislators.
A special presentation was also made by White to former Senate President Lorraine L. Berry, leaving the Legislature after 24 years of service. "She is the longest-serving senator," White said. "A fighter, an individual known as the voice of reason, someone who is fiscally responsible and a lady I was once married to …. This lady has made us all proud."
With tears in her eyes, Berry responded by thanking senators "for all the memories" accumulated over nearly a quarter of a century. "I wish you all the best," she said. "This is a very challenging job. But remember, I'm only a phone call away, so if you get stuck, I can probably give you some advice."
It was a bittersweet moment for many on Monday, as several senators recognized family members and honored those mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who have passed away. However, much of the meeting was filled with jokes, laughter and cheers from the large audience packed into the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas.
While White, with his trademark humor, joked that deJongh and Francis have yet to thank his mother for making him drop out of last year's gubernatorial race, Williams apologized to Figueroa-Serville for taking the title of "the youngest senator."
"This is one of the most distinguished and honorable days of my life," Williams said. "And it took me a long time to get here. I saw two inaugurations pass me by."
Williams ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat in 2002 and 2004.
Weber, taking Figueroa-Serville's spot as the Senate's secretary, also joked about the length of the session, which lasted almost three hours. "I’m learning about being a senator very quickly," he said. "Because I've sat here for an hour and 20 minutes without saying a word."
Other senators, such as Ottley, shared important moments in their personal lives. When thanking his wife for her support, Ottley said they are expecting their second child.
"My wife had a dream that she would be giving birth during these proceedings," he joked. "I’m happy that all dreams don't come true."
On a more serious note, Ottley said he thinks of the Legislature as an "extended family."
"We will bear the blows and we will bear the merits together," he said.
Much attention was also given to Richards, who officially assumed the role of Senate president after Malone ceremoniously presented him with the Legislature's gavel. Richards, who prefaced his speech by playing "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" by reggae artist Sizzla, told the audience that he was a "man of few words."
"I don't pray for things," he said. "I pray for peace of mind. All I ask is for God to grant me the serenity, the wisdom and the courage as I go forward."
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