Today In History: June 18

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On June 18th, 2014, Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key made headlines after going against party lines during the national budget vote.

Key declared that he would not support the Free National Movement’s decision to vote against the 2014/2015 budget, insisting that rejecting the budget would send a negative message to his constituents in Abaco.

One year later, in 2015, Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins announced his resignation from the Progressive Liberal Party during the annual budget debate. Rollins, who co-founded the National Development Party and later joined the PLP as a member and candidate, resigned after a heated session in the House of Assembly. He accused fellow Members of Parliament of attempting to block him from making his contribution to the 2015/2016 budget debate.

Fast forward to 2016, and yet another MP broke party ranks. This time, a Progressive Liberal Party MP for Tall Pines renewed calls for the implementation of the death penalty, urging the Christie administration to take decisive action on the matter.

In 2018, The Bahamas lost a beloved musical icon. Ezra Hepburn, lead singer and guitarist of Ezra and the Polka Dots, died at the age of 74. With a career that spanned more than six decades, Hepburn left an indelible mark on Bahamian music. His most popular songs include “Stop the World and Let Me Off”, “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, and “Perfidia”.

And in 2021, after 16 months of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry marked its return to Grand Bahama. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas launched its homeporting service, becoming the first cruise ship to return to The Bahamas since the pandemic began in March 2020.