• Senator Martin Heinrich Presents Puerto Rico Statehood Bill
    66 replies, posted
[quote][t]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9cfqcQ0Gj1r435avo1_500.jpg[/t] The U.S. Senate received Wednesday for the first time a bill to make Puerto Rico the 51st state amid an economic crisis that many here blame in part on contention over the island's political status. The bill, submitted by Sen. Martin Heinrich, establishes the mechanisms whereby the United States would admit Puerto Rico as a state, assuming the island's citizens votes approve the idea in a binding referendum. Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, is a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the status of Puerto Rico. The bill proposes asking the island's residents: "Do you want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of the United States? Yes _____ No ______." If the "yes" vote wins, the president will have 180 days to submit the legislation to Congress according to which Puerto Rico would be admitted as a state. Heinrich's bill is modeled on a measure submitted to the House of Representatives by Puerto Rico's non-voting member of Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, leader of the pro-statehood PNP.[/quote] [url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/02/12/sen-martin-heinrich--presents-bill-seeking-puerto-rico-statehood/]Latino Fox News[/url]
So does that mean the states official language would change from Spanish to English or would it be the same?
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;43904698]So does that mean the states official language would change from Spanish to English or would it be the same?[/QUOTE] Probably a similar deal to Hawaii and California. Most things would become English, but Spanish would still be used as it's a well spoken language, not to mention that the United State's defacto for most things government and public institutions is English.
So if this follows through the US gets another star on their flag?
[QUOTE=HybridTheroy;43904758]So if this follows through the US gets another star on their flag?[/QUOTE] Pretty much. The official flag would look pretty much the same, but the unofficial flag would be the one in the post. I would actually prefer if the official flag was the new-age Betsy Ross.
[QUOTE=HybridTheroy;43904758]So if this follows through the US gets another star on their flag?[/QUOTE] Pretty much. I don't know if we'll phase these flags out for a new one, but if we do I imagine it'll look very similar to what we have now, just rearranged ever so slightly to include a 51st evenly, like so [img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/US_flag_51_stars.svg/1235px-US_flag_51_stars.svg.png[/img_thumb]
watch the crazy man from texas (ted cruze) filibuster their statehood
I like the 51-flag design. It gives people the impression that their state is the star in the center. Unless you're New Jersey or Florida of course.
I'm interested in how the party system of Puerto Rico might be affected by statehood, since they have the NPP and the PDP instead of Republicans and Democrats. Would they elect NPP and PDP politicians to the US House and Senate? What would this mean for the US party system? Or would the Puerto Rican system just be overwhelmed and eventually replaced with the Reps and Dems, like everywhere else? If they do elect NPP/PDP Senators, imagine how crucial that could end up being when Congress is deadlocked between the two big parties. The tiny Puerto Rican parties could be the ones that hold all the power. It's gon b gud to see what happens anyway. I don't know much about Puerto Rico but the most boring thing that might happen is that the NPP and PDP just ally with the Republicans and Democrats respectively, and eventually get swallowed up by them. Hopefully something more exciting happens
[QUOTE=Sableye;43904791]watch the crazy man from texas (ted cruze) filibuster their statehood[/QUOTE]God, I hope not. Both Republicans and Democrats major party platforms support 51st Statehood for Puerto Rico, not allowing it would be a deathwish.
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;43904698]So does that mean the states official language would change from Spanish to English or would it be the same?[/QUOTE] Puerto Rico currently has two official languages - English and Spanish. They do most business and conversation in Spanish, but English is taught in schools, and a fair bit of government stuff is done in English. I would expect the situation to remain much the same, perhaps add some additional bilingual requirements (like how Quebec does it). It wouldn't be the first state to do so. Hawaii officially has Hawaiian as an official language alongside English, and New Mexico and Louisiana have no languages declared as "official" (only about half of the states actually declared English as an official language, and there is no federal official language) but give a special status to Spanish and French, respectively.
im usually not interested in politics but i love watching history unfold.
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;43904698]So does that mean the states official language would change from Spanish to English or would it be the same?[/QUOTE] there's no federal official language, any state can use whatever they want or have none as well [editline]14th February 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=CabooseRvB;43904812]I like the 51-flag design. It gives people the impression that their state is the star in the center. Unless you're New Jersey or Florida of course.[/QUOTE] that isn't what would actually be used in all likelihood, you can make a rectangular star field with 51
[QUOTE=Sableye;43904791]watch the crazy man from texas (ted cruze) filibuster their statehood[/QUOTE] Considering that Ted Cruz is a potential Republican candidate for the presidency in 2016, filibustering Puerto Rican statehood would not look good for him, since a majority of the United States supports Puerto Rican statehood.
why would he even filibuster it, does anyone even oppose it he may be close, but he's not a cartoon villain
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;43904872]God, I hope not. Both Republicans and Democrats major party platforms support 51st Statehood for Puerto Rico, not allowing it would be a deathwish.[/QUOTE] didn't stop him from filibustering the debt ceiling even AFTER his party told him to fuck off [editline]13th February 2014[/editline] i wouldn't count him as a serious contender for the presidency, as a student in engineering, just on his anti-science stance alone i wouldn't vote for his crazy ass, thats just one of the many things i don't like about him, and im sure he would not get a single moderate vote
I believe Puerto Rico actually voted yes to becoming a state a few years ago, it just wasn't a binding referendum, so it didn't actually go anywhere after that. If this bill passes I think we may soon have 51 states.
I'm very happy about this.
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;43904698]So does that mean the states official language would change from Spanish to English or would it be the same?[/QUOTE] The state will continue to speak Spanish, but their congress people will need to know English. Also I am hype. Puerto Rico is awesome.
I know a few Puerto Ricans they are all against it. I doubt it will go anywhere. From what they tell me, this has been tried multiple times but it never gets the 2/3 majority vote it needs.
[QUOTE=G3rman;43905274]I know a few Puerto Ricans they are all against it. I doubt it will go anywhere. From what they tell me, this has been tried multiple times but it never gets the 2/3 majority vote it needs.[/QUOTE] In 2012 they pretty much voted to become a state, so I don't know what you're talking about.
[QUOTE=be;43905295]In 2012 they pretty much voted to become a state, so I don't know what you're talking about.[/QUOTE] That was the vote that failed to reach the 2/3 majority, if I remember correctly. Apparently the results were skewed and were ignored by the Senate. The vote didn't reach a satisfactory outcome.
[QUOTE=G3rman;43905313]That was the vote that failed to reach the 2/3 majority, if I remember correctly.[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_status_referendum,_2012[/url] You're right, but barely. I'm hoping that when joining the Union becomes a reality, many will vote in favor of it.
[QUOTE=smurfy;43904822]I'm interested in how the party system of Puerto Rico might be affected by statehood, since they have the NPP and the PDP instead of Republicans and Democrats. Would they elect NPP and PDP politicians to the US House and Senate? What would this mean for the US party system? Or would the Puerto Rican system just be overwhelmed and eventually replaced with the Reps and Dems, like everywhere else? If they do elect NPP/PDP Senators, imagine how crucial that could end up being when Congress is deadlocked between the two big parties. The tiny Puerto Rican parties could be the ones that hold all the power. It's gon b gud to see what happens anyway. I don't know much about Puerto Rico but the most boring thing that might happen is that the NPP and PDP just ally with the Republicans and Democrats respectively, and eventually get swallowed up by them. Hopefully something more exciting happens[/QUOTE] The NPP and PDP don't [i]quite[/i] match up exactly with the Democrats and Republicans.
[QUOTE=G3rman;43905313]That was the vote that failed to reach the 2/3 majority, if I remember correctly.[/QUOTE] 54% of Puerto Ricans voted to change their territorial status. 61% of the people who voted to change their territorial status chose statehood. It's pretty close, but you're right.
[QUOTE=G3rman;43905313]That was the vote that failed to reach the 2/3 majority, if I remember correctly. Apparently the results were skewed and were ignored by the Senate. The vote didn't reach a satisfactory outcome.[/QUOTE] 60% voting in favor of statehood may not be 2/3rds, but it is a majority. And when you count those who left the second question blank in protest of the confusion (the ballot was deliberately designed to produce no clear result), you actually would have a 2/3rds majority.
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;43904812]I like the 51-flag design. It gives people the impression that their state is the star in the center. Unless you're New Jersey or Florida of course.[/QUOTE] It's Virginia. We're the best state.
[QUOTE=Moustacheman;43905393]It's Virginia. We're the best state.[/QUOTE] Its defiantly Rhode Island.
[QUOTE=gman003-main;43905349]60% voting in favor of statehood may not be 2/3rds, but it is a majority. And when you count those who left the second question blank in protest of the confusion (the ballot was deliberately designed to produce no clear result), you actually would have a 2/3rds majority.[/QUOTE] 60% didn't vote for statehood, 60% who answered the second question voted for statehood. 45% of those who voted total voted for statehood. Many left the second question blank because if they opposed statehood the first question made the second redundant. If you made the assumption and counted every blank vote as a sovereign associated state vote it would actually comprise 50% of the vote and thus beat the statehood vote. It's actually a very close call and not at all without controversy, and for good reason.
[QUOTE=Mr.Goodcat;43905889]Its defiantly Rhode Island.[/QUOTE] Nah it's Texas
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.