In a day-long session Tuesday, the Senate confirmed seven of eight nominees for Cabinet posts in the Turnbull-James administration.
The eighth nomination, that of Clement "Cain" Magras to be Tourism commissioner, was put on hold for 30 days, at Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's request, after a Tourism employee filed a discrimination complaint charging Magras with sexual harassment and assault. (See earlier story.)
The seven confirmed Cabinet members are:
— Ruby Simmonds as Education commissioner.
— Pedro Encarnacion as Fire Service director.
— Henry Schuster, commissioner of Agriculture.
— Wilbur Callender as Health commissioner.
— Dean Plaskett as commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources.
— Ira Hobson, Housing, Parks and Recreation commissioner.
— Iver Stridiron, attorney general.
Sen. Adelbert M. Bryan cast "no" votes on Stridiron and Hobson. He continued to criticize Stridiron's role in the AT&T settlement on the mud spill in Butler Bay, St. Croix.
In general, however, senators praised the nominees while delineating the problems facing them.