In US Virgin Islands, committee advances legislation to establish sixth constitutional convention

By Bethaney Lee, 26 January 2022
Senator Janelle Sarauw, a co-sponsor of the bill (photo credit: NBC News)
Senator Janelle Sarauw, a co-sponsor of the bill (photo credit: NBC News)
Though five failed attempts precede it, the Government Operations and Consumer Affairs Committee forwarded legislation [...] in hopes of establishing a Sixth Constitutional Convention of the Virgin Islands for the purpose of drafting a U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution. [...] The last attempt Virgin Islanders took at writing their own constitution was nearly ten years ago in 2012, with the largest push towards the effort happening predominantly in the 70s — 1965, 1972, 1978 and 1980. Should the legislation be signed into law, it stipulates the Constitutional Convention would be required to draft a proposed constitution by the end of October 2023, and if the constitution is adopted it would be enacted on March 31, 2025. While the endeavor has been marred over the years by the failed attempts, Virgin Islanders have not changed their minds about wanting a constitution specific to the territory – the legislation itself reading “that the people of the Virgin Islands continue to favor a constitution for the territory as a significant step forward in internal self-government.”
Read the full article here: VI Source

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