Senators apologized to government officials who came to testify on several bills Friday in Frederiksted before adjourning the hearing due to the lack of a quorum.
Attorney General Vincent Frazer, V.I. Bureau of Corrections Director Julius Wilson and other government officials were present to testify to the Committee on Public Safety, Homeland Security and Justice on bills:
- criminalizing sexual relations between inmates and guards;
- classify mobile phones and laptop computers as dangerous contraband;
- creating disabled driving licenses;
- clarifying the law restricting minors from serving and purchasing alcohol.
Sanes bluntly apologized to the testifiers for wasting their time, saying it became apparent there would not be a quorum very shortly before the meeting began. Sen. Nereida "Nellie" Rivera-O’Reilly wondered aloud if the St. Thomas members of the committee would have been there if the hearing were on St. Thomas.
Present were Sanes, O’Reilly and Senate President Ronald Russell, all St. Croix senators. Absent were Sens. Alvin Williams, Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Usie Richards and Celestino White. Richards is a St. Croix senator and the other three were elected from St. Thomas.
