Senate Delays USVI Horse-Racing Deal
The USVI Senate declined to take an immediate up-or-down vote on a proposed agreement to restore horse racing at the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack on St. Croix, sending the measure to the Committee of the Whole for public testimony. Lawmakers cited the need for fuller vetting of provisions that go beyond a standard lease, with testimony set for Aug. 19 and a possible vote when the Legislature reconvenes Aug. 21.
Virgin Islands Senate on Tuesday prevented an immediate vote on a proposed agreement intended to support the restoration of horse racing at the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack on St. Croix, opting instead to send the measure to the Committee of the Whole for public testimony. Governor Albert Bryan Jr. had called a special session seeking a prompt up-or-down decision, but proceedings began well after the advertised time, a delay lawmakers blamed on the V.I.
Water and Power Authority and another electrical outage on St. When the session convened no testifiers were seated in the legislative well, underscoring concerns that stakeholders had not been invited to present testimony. Representatives including the commissioner of the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation were present in the gallery; their testimony is now scheduled for Aug. 19.
Under Senate rules, the Committee of the Whole receives testimony but does not take final votes. Lawmakers are due to reconvene in Legislative Session on Aug. 21, when a decision on the agreement is expected. The Senate president could have recessed into the Committee of the Whole and then returned to session for a vote, a procedure used previously in the 36th Legislature.
Senator Ray Fonseca moved to follow that course Tuesday, but his motion failed. Senate President Milton Potter signaled from the outset that the special session’s narrow focus and timing raised questions. While acknowledging horse racing’s cultural importance to St. Croix, Potter said features of the proposal — including long-term lease terms, gaming revenue arrangements and tax exemptions — require "thorough, transparent vetting, not rushed consideration." He criticized the administration’s decision to prioritise the lease amid other pressing territorial issues such as power, public safety, solid waste, education and housing.
A majority of eight senators voted to send the agreement to the Committee of the Whole: Marvin Blyden, Hubert Frederick, Kenneth Gittens, Marise James, Franklin Johnson, Clifford Joseph, Milton Potter and Kurt Vialet. Six senators opposed the move: Angel Bolques Jr., Alma Francis Heyliger, Carla Joseph, Novelle Francis, Ray Fonseca and Avery Lewis.
For residents of the British Virgin Islands, the episode is a reminder of how tightly regional tourism, cultural events and regulatory frameworks are intertwined across the territory. Restoring horse racing could have economic and tourism implications for neighbouring islands, while the debate around gaming revenues and tax exemptions highlights the need for careful legislative scrutiny of agreements that extend beyond conventional leases.
Testimony on the racetrack proposal is set for Aug. 19, with a possible final vote when the Legislature meets again on Aug. 21, according to Virgin Islands News Online.
Primary source: VINO