Publisher’s Note: This story was updated at 10:20 a.m. Thursday to include additional information provided by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. about the status of ongoing projects within both districts.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s decision to veto a bill allocating $20 million from the Epstein estate settlement to fund nursing and assisted living facilities has drawn sharp criticism from Sen. Dwayne M. DeGraff, who called the move a missed opportunity to expand vital services for senior citizens across the Virgin Islands.
The legislation proposed building one facility each on St. Thomas and St. Croix to address critical gaps in elder care infrastructure, with funds earmarked for Public Works to carry out architectural and engineering services. During a Finance Committee hearing on the bill, DeGraff said that suggestions from Department of Human Services representatives and several senators pointed to alternatives, such as incorporating low-income housing subsidies modeled after the Celestino A. White Senior Citizens Residence.
“This wasn’t just a bill; it was a bill for the people,” DeGraff said in an interview with the Source Wednesday. “To hear the governor veto it and redirect the funds to renovating the Sea View nursing home undermines the broader goal of creating equitable access to services across the territory.”
Bryan defended his decision in a transmittal letter to Senate President Novelle Francis Jr., stating, “Redirecting these funds to renovate the Sea View nursing home will have a greater and more immediate impact, ensuring we create a safe, modern, and comfortable space for our elderly residents.” Bryan also cited ongoing projects to replace other long-term care facilities, including the Eldra Schulterbrandt Long-Term Care Facility and the Queen Louise Home for the Aged, as part of the government’s existing efforts.
“Both elder care centers are being fully replaced and we have a private company building one on St. Croix, with another planned on St. Thomas later on,” he said in an exchange with the Source Thursday morning, adding that the focus should be on adding mental health care facilities. Bryan also explained that the government would not have been able to comply with the requirements of a $4 million appropriation by the Legislature for Sea View – also included in the bill – if those funds were directed toward mental health care initiatives.
Further, Bryan said with all the capital projects currently online, any available sitting funds could be channeled toward outstanding obligations, such as retroactive wages owed to employees.
Wednesday night, DeGraff argued that the veto ignored innovative approaches to senior care that the revised bill was meant to deliver, including potential public-private partnerships. “GERS has land and could enter into a partnership to build these facilities. We could have also built onto existing facilities—like adding a wing to the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged—to get the results we were going for,” he said. “Instead, this veto sends a message to the community that we’re not interested in doing more for our seniors.”
DeGraff also emphasized the need to address a gap for middle-income seniors. “My mother, who made $17,000 a year, would qualify for assistance, but someone earning $26,000 wouldn’t. This $10 million per district could have bridged that gap,” he said.
Despite the setback, DeGraff vowed to reintroduce the legislation, citing the territory’s $23 million surplus as evidence that the funds are available. “The Finance Committee had great ideas, including amendments to send money to Public Works for construction and to broaden the scope to include assisted living and nursing homes,” he said.
Bryan acted on 29 bills passed during the final session of the 35th Legislature, approving several key measures. Among them were:
- Bill No. 35-0431: Adopts the 2024 Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, addressing housing, environmental, and infrastructure challenges.
- Bill No. 35-0179: Strengthens enforcement tools against illegal gambling and lottery violations.
- Bill No. 35-0224: Expands behavioral health services with a mobile crisis intervention team and the 9-8-8 mental health hotline.
- Bill No. 35-0254: Establishes the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, enabling professionals to practice across state lines.
- Bill No. 35-0295: Creates the Virgin Islands Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to oversee prescription drug use.
- Bill No. 35-0336: Establishes the Office of Conflict Counsel to provide legal representation for indigent defendants.
- Bill No. 35-0401: Rezones parcels on St. Thomas for mixed-use development, promoting economic growth.
- Bill No. 35-0404: Ratifies a minor coastal zone permit for reverse osmosis plant infrastructure in St. Thomas.
- Bill No. 35-0408: Requires a territorial regulated medical waste management plan.
Bryan also exercised his authority to line-item veto portions of Bill No. 35-0428, appropriating $2.9 million from the Indirect Cost Fund, citing the lack of an actuarial study and the untimely nature of retroactive appropriations.
Two bills were vetoed outright, including Bill No. 35-0399, which proposed mandatory minimum bail for domestic violence cases. Bryan explained, “While I agree that the scourge of domestic violence in the Territory is unacceptably high, this measure does not address the root causes of violence but rather inflicts a penalty on poverty and removes the discretion of the judiciary and police officers to evaluate the facts before them.”
