By Kurt E. Petri

Did you know that the Virgin Islands could have become a county of Florida?  All the way back in 1965, Congressman Charles Bennett (D, FL) introduced a plan to Congress where the Virgin Islands would become the 68th county of the state of Florida.  He reasoned that the anti-colonial sentiment at that time, particularly within the United Nations, would make it difficult for the United States to retain its rights in the Territory.  He was also concerned that the United States should not lose control of the islands as a national security measure.

Congressman Bennett proposed that both the Virgin Islands and Florida hold elections to allow citizens to express their views.  He also advanced the idea to then Virgin Islands Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky and requested that the proposal be put before the Virgin Islands constitutional convention that was in session at the time.

The plan ultimately went nowhere, but had it gone forward, it could have solved several current issues.  It would have clarified the issue of birthright citizenship for Virgin Islands born residents and would have allowed Virgin Islanders to vote for President and have voting representation in both the House of Representatives and Senate.  It could have also eliminated the need for a separate customs zone for the territory and the mirror code.  But, no matter how you feel about Congressman Bennett’s idea, it is relegated to being an obscure footnote in Virgin Islands history.

Contact Dudley Newman Feuerzeig LLP to understand for any of your Virgin Islands legal needs.