The Elective Governor Acts of 1968 are a pair of acts passed by the
90th United States Congress in 1968, which provide for the
Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The governor of the United States Virgin Islands is the head of government of the United States Virgin Islands whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Territory addresses to the Virgin Islands Legislature, submitting t ...
and the
Governor of Guam to be popularly elected, rather than appointed as they had been up to that point. The two acts are individually titled the Virgin Islands Elective Governor Act
Pub.L. 90-496 82 Stat. 837, passed 23 August 1968) and the Guam Elective Governor Act
Pub.L. 90-497 82 Stat. 842, passed 1 September 1968). The impetus for the acts came from extensive lobbying efforts by both Guamanians and Virgin Islanders. The
Guam Legislature
The Legislature of Guam ( ch, Liheslaturan Guåhan) is the law-making body for the United States territory of Guam. The unicameral legislative branch consists of fifteen senators, each serving for a two-year term. All members of the legislature a ...
, led by Speaker
Antonio Borja Won Pat, had begun lobbying Congress for popular elections in 1962.
In the Virgin Islands, the act stemmed from the recommendations of the territory's first Constitutional Convention in 1964–5, which included the popular election of the governor. The acts were seen as a breakthrough for political reform both in Guam and the Virgin Islands. The Guam act was controversial, however, for authorizing federal auditing of the territory's accounts by the
Interior Department
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
—a practice that remained in place .
See also
*
Guam Organic Act of 1950
*
Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands
References
External links
Elective Governor Act 1968at Guampedia
1968 in American law
90th United States Congress
United States federal territory and statehood legislation
1968 in the United States Virgin Islands
1968 in Guam
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