Legislature of the Virgin Islands
| Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|
| 32nd Legislature | |
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
|
Myron D. Jackson (D)
Since 9 January 2017 |
|
| Structure | |
| Seats | 15 |
 |
|
|
Political groups
|
Democratic Party: (11)
Independent: (3)
|
| Elections | |
|
Last election
|
November 8, 2016 |
| Meeting place | |
| Charlotte Amalie | |
| Website | |
| http://www.legvi.org/ | |
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the United States Virgin Islands. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, elected to two-year terms without term limits. The territorial legislature meets in the capital of Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas.
The roots of the modern legislature date to the passage of the Colonial Law in 1852 during the Danish colonial period. The law created a Colonial Assembly for the Danish West Indies, as well as the appointment of a vice-regent serving as the colony’s governor executive, serving on behalf of the King of Denmark. Despite the name, the Colonial Assembly acted more as an advisory body than a true legislature. Vice-regents continued to reserve the right to reject or amend any law they did not see fit.
A further Colonial Law coming in 1863 broke the Assembly into two parts, creating a colonial council for the newly created St. Thomas and St. John Municipality, and a separate colonial council for the St. Croix Municipality. The 1863 law provided the councils to combine into a single legislature when called upon by the Vice-regent or by legislators themselves, and gave legislators greater say in the colony's finances. However, the Danish monarch still reserved the right to pick several members of the councils, giving Copenhagen a continued say in the colony's legislative affairs. The monarch-appointed vice-regent and the king also continued to reserve the right to pass or deny any colonial bills brought upon their desks. The voting franchise of this period remained low, hovering just under six percent.
...
Wikipedia