The Federal Income Taxes Puerto Ricans Pay
Unequal treatment of Puerto Rico under federal law has frequently been justified on the grounds that Puerto Ricans do not pay federal income tax on… Read More »The Federal Income Taxes Puerto Ricans Pay
Unequal treatment of Puerto Rico under federal law has frequently been justified on the grounds that Puerto Ricans do not pay federal income tax on… Read More »The Federal Income Taxes Puerto Ricans Pay
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has long been a source of pride for Puerto Ricans, and when President Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court in 2009, many celebrated that her nomination provided renewed interest in the discussion over Puerto Rico’s status. Although Justice Sotomayor has avoided locking herself into any position on the issue, an analysis of her scholarly writing suggests that her opinion on Puerto Rico’s status has evolved from an emotional call for independence to a more thoughtful and pragmatic position of support for statehood.Read More »Justice Sotomayor’s Position on Statehood
Ohio State Representative Daniel Ramos is the latest legislator to back Puerto Rico’s bid for statehood. Ramos, who was born and raised in Ohio but is of Puerto Rican descent, has introduced a House Concurrent Resolution asking the U.S. Congress to take action “that respects the will of U.S. Citizens in Puerto Rico, and takes steps toward admitting the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the Union as a state,” according to a report in HispanicOhio.comRead More »Ohio’s Ramos Asks Congress for Action
The vote for statehood on November 6th was only the first step in a new direction for Puerto Rico.Read More »Next Steps for Puerto Rico Statehood
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is researching the fiscal effects of Puerto Rico becoming a state of the United States now that residents of the island territory have voted to join the Union.Read More »GAO Studying Fiscal Aspects of Puerto Rico Statehood
Although it may not have the attention of the recent presidential election, news of Puerto Rico’s plebiscite is making its way around the country. We were struck by a particularly thoughtful post online for a news source from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where very few Puerto Ricans live. Read More »Support for Puerto Rican Statehood from Michigan
We have previously reported on a letter Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi sent to President Obama in which he asked for the president’s “time, resources and – above all – leadership to help resolve the question of Puerto Rico’s political status.” Pierluisi has also sent a similar letter to congressional leaders, including House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.Read More »Pierluisi Asks for Congressional Leadership to Act on Puerto Rico Results
Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico’s Representative in Congress, has written a letter to President Obama analyzing the recent plebiscite vote and urging an “appropriate and timely” federal government response.Read More »Letter from Pierluisi to Obama: “The People of Puerto Rico Have Spoken”
Updated with annotation below on November 9, 2020 to reflect plebiscite votes in favor of statehood held in 2017 and 2020. Some analyses of the… Read More »Statehood Wins: The Culmination of a Trend