Crucians In Focus

Redfield Editorial #70 – Constitution Convention

Redfield Editorial #77 – Constitution Convention

The following text and documents were received from 5th Constitutional Convention Delegate Gerard M. Emanuel:

Attached are two documents that provided U.S. Citizenship en masse to Native Virgin Islanders in 1927 and in 1940. They are being provided on this website because they served as the principal legal source and basis for the definitions of V.I. Natives that are found in the proposed V.I. Constitution.

1. The key phrases for the definition of Ancestral Native Virgin Islanders are the following which are found in both the 1927 and the 1940 U.S. Citizenship Acts: Read the rest of this entry »

Crucians In Focus invites the public to review and comment on the attached Final Constitution of the 5th Constitutional Convention which was approved on May 26, 2009 at The Drive In (Estate Grove Place, St. Croix).

Final Constitution of the 5th Constitutional Convention

Table of Contents (only)

The document has been forwarded to the governor who has 10 days to forward it to President Obama. The President then has 60 days to review and forward it to the Congress with his comments. Congress then has 60 days to review the document and either return it as is or modify/amend the document, in whole or in part, as per Public Law 94-584 (full text; previously provided by Delegate Emmanuel in an opinion article). The document returned by Congress will be submitted to the people of the Virgin Islands for approval.

A Constitution is defined as a system for government that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity, including the fundamental political principles; defines the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of a government; and guarantees certain rights to the people. All of the people.

Except, it seems, in the minds of certain delegates of the Constitutional Convention of the United States Virgin Islands. Read the rest of this entry »

Crucians In Focus invites the public to review and comment on the attached draft of the 5th VI Constitution from the May 13, 2009 Plenary Session. We have also included the red-line version for those wishing to see the changes that were made. This document will be considered at the next session currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th, 10:00am at The Drive In (Estate Grove Place, St. Croix).

Revised Draft Constitution From 5-13-09 Plenary Session

Revised Draft Constitution From 5-13-09 Plenary (red-line copy)

Attached is ARTICLE IX of the Florida State Constitution which serves as the primary source of the class size language utilized by the Convention’s Education, Youth and Culture Committee.

Florida State Constitution – Article IX (Education)

The following text and documents were received from 5th Constitutional Convention Delegate Gerard M. Emanuel:

Attached are some documents that will conclusively verify the following:

1. Treaties which the U.S. has entered into are definitely part of the United States’ “supreme law of the land”, just as the U.S. Constitution is.

2. Treaties applicable to the Virgin Islands of the United States along with the provisions of the U.S. Constitution were intended by Congress and the V.I. Legislature to be taken into consideration by the constitutional convention delegates. Read the rest of this entry »

Guest Opinion by Verdel L. Petersen

Dear Editor:

The “Constitutional Conundrum” continues, meanwhile the deadline to produce a document draws near and the light at the end of the tunnel dims as time elapses.

Drafting a constitution for the “Virgin Islands of the United States” is a serious matter and the sole purpose for forming the 5th Constitutional Convention.In 2007, voters of the USVI elected 30 delegates to serve on the convention;the background of each was scrutinized and it was decided that they had the best qualification to get the job done. Read the rest of this entry »

Primary Draft of the V.I. 5th Constitution Convention – proposed by Delegate Petersen

Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac

Our constitution, any constitution needs not be more than about twenty to twenty five articles. A constitution, as I understand it, is a document that lay down the principles by which a people will be governed. Based on the principle set forth in the constitution that laws are made and codified in a code. Unfortunately not too many of the present delegates seem to understand what the scope of a constitution is. I have been to a meeting of the delegates to the constitution convention and my impression confirmed my suspicion, the delegates had not done their homework, they did not do much, if any research of even reading on the concept and mechanics of a constitution. Read the rest of this entry »