Aug. 13, 2001 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull announced late Monday night that he had vetoed Sen. Emmett Hansen's gun-control bill, despite having told the senator last Wednesday that he had signed it.
He also vetoed a bill giving the hospitals greater autonomy because, he said, it would exempt the institutions from oversight by the Finance Department and Office of Management and Budget.
The governor did sign into law a bill providing for the V.I. government to issue bonds backed by anticipated revenues from the territory's portion of the nationwide tobacco settlement.
Turnbull said he "had to" veto the gun-control bill "due to my serious concerns over the Draconian forfeiture provisions," which he said could result in individuals found to have illegal weapons or ammunition losing their homes. Turnbull cited a new section of the bill as the sticking point.
In his letter to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, Turnbull wrote, "Should a decent, law-abiding person lose his or her home because some culprit has hidden one illegal bullet in it without the owner's knowledge?"
The Legislature had passed the bill on a 12-1 vote, with Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen casting the negative vote. Sen. Adelbert Bryan was off the floor for the vote, and Sen.Vargrave Richards was off-island and excused from the session.
As introduced by Emmett Hansen, the gun-control bill called for increasing the first-offense fine for illegal gun possession from $1,000 to $5,000, and the maximum prison term from two years to five. For a second offense, it increased the fine from $2,000 to $10,000, with imprisonment of up to 15 years. For a felon carrying an illegal firearm or using one in a crime of violence, the bill increased the fine from $10,000 to $25,000, with imprisonment from 15 to 20 years. For using a machine gun in a violent crime, it raised the fine from $12,000 to $50,000, with 20 years in prison.
The territory's top police officials had sent letters to the Senate strongly endorsing the legislation, and Attorney General Iver Stridiron supported the measure after pointing out language in the bill which he said could cause confusion and which the senators then dealt with.
Emmett Hansen, who is off island on vacation, could not be reached for comment late Monday night.
The tobacco settlement bill that Turnbull signed provides for the creation of a Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp. empowered to borrow money though the issuance of bonds against the anticipated revenues from the territory's share of the nationwide tobacco settlement. The proceeds are earmarked for improving the territory's health care system.
In his letter to Liburd, Turnbull described himself as "a very strong supporter of greater autonomy for out hospitals" and said he also is concerned about "the proliferation of illegal guns in the territory" and supports "the efforts to curb the violence these firearms represent." He said he exercised both vetoes "most reluctantly" and that he hoped the Legislature would address the concerns he raised and send revised versions of both bills back to him.
