The 36th Legislature Swears In, Past and Present Offiicials Share Their Hopes

Fifteen elected and reelected lawmakers began a new term in the Legislature by taking their oaths of office in a public ceremony on St. Thomas. Residents, students, tourists, and media crews witnessed the swearing-in of the 36th Legislature Monday morning in downtown Charlotte Amalie.

Lawmakers filed into the David Monsanto Bandstand, taking their seats in preparation for the 10 a.m. event. Shortly afterward, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach arrived, marking the start of the ceremony. Shayla Solomon, serving as Mistress of Ceremonies, welcomed the assembled crowd, setting the tone for the proceedings. Caroline Fawkes, the Supervisor of Elections, followed with an official reading of the results from the Nov. 5 General Election.

Virgin Islands Chief Supreme Court Justice Rhys Hodge stepped forward to administer the oaths of office to 15 senators who stood shoulder to shoulder. The event featured contributions from the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Junior ROTC, whose disciplined ranks marched in to post the colors. Adding a reflective tone, members of the clergy offered prayers to open and close the occasion while poet Lydia Potter recited “Under the Turquoise Skies.”