{"id":67997,"date":"2018-10-13T09:23:37","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T09:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=67997"},"modified":"2018-10-13T11:16:11","modified_gmt":"2018-10-13T11:16:11","slug":"mapp-must-now-report-to-senate-before-extending-state-of-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=67997","title":{"rendered":"Mapp Must Now Get Senate Approval Before Extending State Of Emergency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers during a Friday Senate session overrode Governor Kenneth Mapp’s veto of Bill No. 32-0185<\/span><\/a>, sponsored by Senator Tregenza Roach, a lieutenant governor candidate on the Democratic ticket. The measure, now law,\u00a0drastically limits the amount of times a governor can declare a state of emergency unilaterally.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mapp will now need to seek Senate approval before extending the state of emergency past October. The bill’s sponsor had argued that the vast powers afforded a governor following a disaster declaration should not go unchecked for so long, in Mr. Mapp’s case over a year.<\/p>\n

The powers given a governor by statute during a state of emergency are immense. They include the authority to \u201csuspend the provisions of any statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of territorial business, or the orders, rules, or regulations of any territorial agency.\u201d The governor may also utilize \u201call available resources of the territory,\u201d and can \u201ctransfer the direction, personnel, or functions of territorial departments and agencies or units thereof,\u201d among other powers.<\/p>\n

According to the bill, once the governor has twice called for a state of emergency, each lasting 30 days, \u201cthe governor\u00a0shall submit legislation to the Legislature requesting an extension of the state of emergency. The request must include the specific reasons for the extension, the time-period of the extension, and a plan of action to address the conditions that necessitate the extension of the state of emergency. All subsequent requests for an extension must be submitted to the Legislature before the expiration of the extension that is in effect. The Legislature shall consider a request for an extension of the state of emergency not later than five days after its receipt. If the Legislature fails to consider the request within the five-day period, the state of emergency is automatically extended for an additional 30 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

In announcing his veto of the measure in September<\/span><\/a>, the governor decried the bill as politically driven.\u00a0\u201cThis measure is irresponsible; it reeks of politics,\u201d Mr. Mapp wrote in his\u00a0transmittal letter<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to Senate President Myron Jackson. \u201cThe Virgin Islands of the United States remains under a Presidential State of Emergency. The Presidential State of Emergency exists so federal agencies can respond and assist the people of the Virgin Islands in a more responsive and timely manner. The Virgin Islands\u2019 State of Emergency exists so that we can expedite the procurement process and response to federal imposed cost share deadlines.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the veto now overridden, senators’ complaints that\u00a0they were left uninformed about to the territory\u2019s state of affairs during the months following the hurricanes, should now be allayed, as the new law mandates that\u00a0representatives of the governor update lawmakers on progress before a final determination can be made to extend an emergency declaration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know my colleagues have encountered the reality when our constituents ask why are we\u2019re still under a state of emergency,\u201d said Mr. Roach while introducing the bill in July. \u201cWhy in a new hurricane season, why 10 months or more after [Hurricanes Irma and Maria] have passed are we still in a state of emergency? I don\u2019t generally have an answer; I don\u2019t know what you all tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea behind the bill is that it gives the legislature an opportunity to have the governor or his representatives say to the body what has occurred during the state of emergency, the actions that have been taken, and the actions that remain to be done which requires an extension of the state of emergency,\u201d Mr. Roach added. \u201cThis is about us, this is about the body. This is about the role of the Legislature and even in regards to the representatives of the governor when they tell us pointblank that they\u2019re not coming to hearings. And there are actions that are taken that continue to undermine the role of this body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both sides could attempt to use the new law to their advantage ahead of the November 6 general election. Mr. Mapp could argue that the Bryan-Roach team is stymieing the territory’s recovery progress, a talking point that could resonate with voters wary of government bureaucracy.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Mr. Bryan and Mr. Roach could argue that checks and balances are needed when billions of dollars are flowing into the territory, to ascertain that the job of recovery is actually accomplished, and that the bill was necessary for transparency.<\/p>\n

The Nov. 6 general election is only 24 days away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feature Image: Governor Mapp met with President Trump and wife Melania on October 3, 2017, to discuss the territory’s recovery efforts following the destructive storms Irma and Maria.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers during a Friday Senate session overrode Governor Kenneth Mapp’s veto of Bill No. 32-0185, sponsored by Senator Tregenza Roach, a lieutenant governor candidate on the Democratic ticket. The measure, now law,\u00a0drastically limits the amount of times a governor can declare a state of emergency unilaterally. Mr. Mapp will now need to seek Senate approval […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[228,11,191,2474,147],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMapp Must Now Get Senate Approval Before Extending State Of Emergency - V.I. 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