The Home Journal

Governor Vetoes Bill To Set Up Washington Office

An act recently passed by the Legislative Assembly to establish the office of the Legislative Contact Representative of the Virgin Islands in Washington, D.C. was vetoed this week by Governor de Castro.

The bill specifically contravenes section 24 of the Organic Act which provides that the Governor shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Council having jurisdiction all salaried officers and employees of the municipal governments whose salaries were provided for in the budgets. It also exceeds the legislative powers vested in the Legislative Assembly in other sections of the organic act, he stated.

The Governor declared that any substitute for a resident commissioner for the Virgin Islands without his authority and prestige as a non-voting member of the House of Representatives would be inadequate and ineffectual. In my opinion, we should devote our energies to continuing efforts to convince Congress that we need a resident commissioner in Washington. This bill, I know, without the possibility of immediate substantial benefits, would retard rather than advance this objective.