Senate approves numerous major bills

Senators approved numerous, substantial measures in Thursday’s Legislative session, including the long-awaited merger of the V.I. Fire Service and Emergency Medical Services. But Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s bill to enable horse racing to resume in the territory was held for further review, after senators expressed serious concerns about it in Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole.

Bill No. 34-0224 would amend the law to allow for Video Lottery Terminals at the Clinton Phipps racetrack on St. Thomas. Bryan has said it would facilitate a settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed by VLT operator Southland Gaming, which claimed the government violated its exclusive contract by entering a new contract with VIGL LLC in 2016 to operate slot machines at the St. Thomas track.