This article describes the Puerto Rican vote on statehood. Even though 61% of the voters voted for statehood, the article explains, Congress is not likely to pass any bill in 2013 to make Puerto Rico a state. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
This article describes the Puerto Rican vote on statehood. Even though 61% of the voters voted for statehood, the article explains, Congress is not likely to pass any bill in 2013 to make Puerto Rico a state. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
Congress should be passing a statehood bill for Puerto Rico as fast as possible. There are 8 million citizens in puerto rico that could be added to the federal income tax rolls if statehood is pushed through congress.
My mistake the population of puerto rico is only 3.7 million not 8. But its still a large increase to the tax rolls if statehood is passed!
Will the Elephants in the gerrymander U.S.A. H.Reps. love adding more gerrymander Donkeys in the H. Reps. and Senate ??? Yeah. Sure.
How about a merger with New York State — since lots of P.R. folks have relatives there.
OR the obvious – declare P.R. one more island nation-state regime in the world.
It’s time to make PR a state and to return the rest of DC to MD.
It’s funny that the article mentions that perhaps Fortuno only supported statehood to get voters out to the polls…well if he didn’t genuinely support statehood I doubt he would have joined the pro-statehood party to begin with (New Progressives).
I believe that this is the first time that Puerto Ricans have had an unambiguous outcome in any referenda on this issue.
@6 – this is also the first time the plebiscite was set up as 2 questions.
There was 26% abstention on the 2nd question.
The first question was whether to change status or continue the same old same old. That passed 52:44.
The second question was on what the new status would be:
(1) Statehood 45%
(2) Free association under new treaty 25%
(3) Independence 4%
(4) Abstain.
The 2nd option presumes that the United States would be interested in negotiating such a treaty.
Opponents of Statehood for Puerto Rico are using the number of blank votes on the second question of the referendum held on November 6, 2012. However, and at least according to Robert’s Rules of Order, blank votes don’t count at all. The rules go as far as saying that blank votes are considered “scrap paper.”
The reality is that now Congress has a clear message from Puerto Rico, divided into two.
First, 54% voted to state that Puerto Rico should not continue its current territorial status. In other words, that they want to change the relationship with the rest of the United States.
Second, among those who chose a non territorial status option, 61% said they want Puerto Rico to become the 51st state.
If Congress has any doubts, it has the option of approving legislation to hold a new vote between Statehood, Independence, and Free Association.