36th Legislature sworn into office with new and familiar faces amid pay raise turmoil

ST. THOMAS — Members of the 36th Legislature took the oath of office on Monday, during a ceremony at Emancipation Garden before continuing at the legislative chambers, where a power outage caused a brief pause in the session.

Senators approved a slew of bills establishing the 36th Legislature with 12 votes in favor and three votes against from Sens. Franklin Johnson, Dwayne DeGraff and Alma Francis Heyliger, who did not share their reasoning behind their no votes during the session. The new legislature marks the return of Sen. Kurt Vialet of the St. Croix District and the introduction of freshman senators Avery Lewis, Hubert Frederick and Clifford Joseph, who all received a warm welcome from their colleagues.

Vialet, a former educator, returns to the Legislature after losing the 2022 gubernatorial election to incumbent Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. Vialet also serves as the majority leader in the Senate. “I have made my return. I am back. I want to thank God for giving me the strength and for allowing me to stay in the game. A lot of individuals, politically, after a loss, they disappear, and I decided I wasn’t going to disappear,” he said. “I love my community. I am going to stay a part of this community and continue to fight.”