Bill to Establish Sixth Constitutional Convention Crosses First Hurdle; Frett-Gregory Plans Committee of the Whole

A bill that seeks to establish the U.S. Virgin Islands' Sixth Constitutional Convention, a group of individuals responsible for determining the text of the would-be constitution and presenting it to the U.S. Congress which must approve the constitution in order for it to be valid, was approved in the Committee on Government Operations and Consumer Affairs Wednesday. The measure would also provide an appropriation to cover convention-related expenses. The Fifth Constitutional Convention was rejected by Congress because of controversial portions of the document, including language that says ancestral Virgin Islanders, more pointedly those who had family in the territory in or before 1932, would be exempt from paying property taxes. The failed document also says only native-born Virgin Islanders can run for the office of governor or lieutenant governor. The fifth document was proposed in May 2009. Bill No. 34-0153, sponsored by Sen. Janelle Sarauw, had several testifiers as part of the ...