Review Sought Over Senator's Conduct
A formal complaint has been filed over Senator Carla Joseph’s handling of a recent committee hearing, with Senator Kenneth Gittens asking the 36th Legislature’s president to review her conduct. The dispute centres on Joseph allowing public testimony at a hearing on two bills that were reportedly already slated to be returned to committee for revision.
Senator Kenneth Gittens has asked Milton Potter, President of the 36th Legislature of the US Virgin Islands, to open a formal review into the conduct of Senator Carla Joseph after a fractious committee hearing earlier this week, according to a letter cited by Virgin Islands News Online.
Gittens said he was in “deep concern” about the way Joseph presided over what was scheduled as a hearing on two bills sponsored by Senator Clifford Joseph — one proposal to ban assault rifles, silencers and suppressors, and another to prohibit several cannabinoid products. A motion to remove those measures from the committee agenda produced a heated exchange, during which Senator Carla Joseph sharply criticised colleagues for allegedly preventing assembled testifiers from speaking. “That is very unconscionable,” Senator Joseph is reported to have said, noting the presence of representatives from the Attorney General’s Office among those prepared to testify.
Gittens, however, says Joseph knew in advance that the measures were to be sent back to the committee of jurisdiction “to review, revise and strengthen the proposed amendments before proceeding further in the legislative process,” and yet allowed the testifiers to convene. In his letter to the Legislature’s president, Gittens called Joseph’s remarks “entirely inappropriate” and said her use of a point of personal privilege amounted to publicly demeaning members of her own committee.
He also alleged that her comments violated established rules of order, including the prohibition against explaining a ‘no’ vote after the fact. Gittens characterised the episode as part of an “ongoing pattern of disruptive conduct and misuse of procedural privileges,” saying it erodes the decorum of the institution and risks exposing proceedings to public ridicule — a development he warned could further damage public trust in the Legislature.
Senator Alma Francis Heyliger also described Joseph’s remarks as “very disrespectful and disingenuous” and reportedly said she would ask to be removed from the Committee on Rules and Judiciary if the chairwoman’s conduct is not addressed. The letter calls for a “serious review” of Senator Joseph’s actions.
At the time of publication, there has been no public announcement of formal disciplinary steps or a schedule for any review. The dispute highlights tensions over committee procedure and public testimony that may be of interest to BVI residents monitoring governance and legislative standards in neighbouring territories.
Primary source: VINO