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3-Day Legislative Session
Budgets, Bills & Resolutions
In the three-day Full Session of the 30th Legislature, several extremely important issues were tackled including the passing of the Government of the Virgin Islands Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the Government Group Health Insurance Plan, and the passing of a Resolution offering suggestions of some provisions and language that would make the Senate body more comfortable with the proposed 4th Amendment Agreement for HOVENSA. We also passed on to the Governor many other Bills for his consideration and signature. Click here for a recap of each day in the session, highlights of the bills that were passed and links to many of the Bills for your convenience.
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Bill No. 30-0136
An Act amending title 17, chapter 11, Virgin Islands Code as it relates to corporal punishment of pupils in public schools
 Tuesday October 8, 2013 Bill No. 30-0136 will come before the Committee on Education and Workforce Development to be vetted and hopefully passed on to the Rules and Judiciary Committee for further consideration. The Corporal Punishment Bill has been a driving force in our office to make a radical change to the local educational climate. Senator Buckley has met with educators, parents, psychologists, school administrators and other stake holders to craft a bill that effectively addresses the needs of our Virgin Islands school children in creating a safe environment that fosters a climate of learning. The bill has been updated and amended based on discussions with both local and national experts in education and psychology including Deborah J. Vagins of the American Civil LIberties Union in Washington, DC who will be travelling to St Croix to testify on behalf of the bill. Ms. Vagins' trip is funded courtesy the ACLU with no cost to the VI tax payer.
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Deborah J. Vagins
ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel, Civil Rights
ACLU Washington Legislative Office
Deborah J. Vagins is the Senior Legislative Counsel on civil rights issues for the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office. In this position, Vagins leads the office's advocacy efforts and develops pro-active strategies on pending federal legislation and executive branch actions concerning voting rights, racial justice, education and the school to prison pipeline, and employment discrimination. She works closely with coalition partners and key congressional, White House, and agency staff to advance a federal civil rights agenda.
Vagins has been instrumental in advocating for major civil rights laws, including the 2006 reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, among others. Currently, she co-chairs several national civil rights coalitions advocating for passage of bills such as the Democracy Restoration Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. Vagins has also drafted and co-authored numerous congressional statements, articles, and reports including: Promises to Keep: The Impact of the Voting Rights Act; The Democracy Restoration Act: Addressing A Centuries-Old Injustice; Working in the Shadows: Ending Employment Discrimination for LGBT Americans; and Cracks in the System: Twenty Years of an Unjust Federal Crack Cocaine Law. Some of her reports have inspired town hall meetings across the country, and Vagins' words and work have been featured by The New York Times, C-SPAN, Washington Post, AP, CQ, NPR, Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and others. {Read More}
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