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The New Orleans Times-Picayune "PUERTO RICO MAY BECOME NO. 51 BILL LETS ISLAND VOTE ON STATEHOOD" by DAVID BRISCOE Associated Press writer (03/04/98, Copyright 1998) Despite resistance from mainland English-only advocates and Puerto Ricans who don't want statehood, the 100-year-old island commonwealth might be getting its best chance yet at becoming the 51st state. It would be the start of a long road with no guarantee of success, however. President Clinton and both majority and minority leaders in the House are backing a plebiscite that would let Puerto Ricans choose statehood, independence or continuation as a commonwealth. A House bill up for a vote today or Thursday would start a process that could lead to statehood or independence in 10 years. However, an effort to amend the bill to require that English become the only official language of the United States, whether Puerto Rico becomes a state or not, could delay or scuttle it. A similar bill is pending in the Senate. "Americans are going to wake up Thursday morning with Puerto Rico well on its way to becoming the 51st state, and they're going to ask: Why weren't we informed?" said Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in asking for a delay. The chairman of the House Resources Committee, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, got his panel to approve the plebiscite 44-1. He said Tuesday he would fight any effort to attach the English-only provision. If the bill becomes law and predominantly Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans choose change, Congress would then set up a decade-long transition to a new status: either statehood or independence. Both Congress and Puerto Rico would have to approve any final status change, to take place in 2008 or later. Scores of Puerto Ricans converged on Washington Tuesday for the vote, and groups backing the two most viable options, commonwealth and statehood, took out dueling newspaper ads and lobbied House members. Diverse issues affecting the debate include an emotional confrontation over the prevalence of the Spanish language in Puerto Rico, the cost of adding a significantly less prosperous 51st state to the rest of the nation, the effect six new Puerto Rican seats would have on the House of Representatives and whether islanders really want to give up separate Olympic teams and Miss Universe contestants. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens who serve in the military and enjoy most of the privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship, but they don't vote in presidential elections, don't pay federal income taxes and have only one nonvoting delegate in Congress. Puerto Ricans who oppose statehood point to the advantages of commonwealth status. "It allows us to be Puerto Ricans while still being U.S. citizens," said Anibal Acevedo-Vila, president of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party. "If you choose statehood, you will put in danger your culture, your identity, your nationhood. If you chose independence, you will lose your U.S. citizenship." Even commonwealth proponents, however, would like to see changes, including less congressional control over the territory and the ability to negotiate separate economic relations with its non-U.S. neighbors. Other U.S. territories that have nonvoting members of Congress - American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia - are watching the issue closely. All the nonvoting delegates support the plebiscite measure, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Washington, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton wants statehood for the district. Others would like to gain some of the status Puerto Rico already has. "It is now time for Congress to take action to bring to these 3.8 million U.S. citizens political, economic and social equality," said Delegate Carlos Romero-Barcelo of Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans last voted on the issue in 1993 in a nonbinding plebiscite that carried no mandate for congressional action. The results: Commonwealth proponents won 48.6 percent, statehood 46.3 percent and independence 4.4 percent. A majority vote would be required for Congress to act after a 1998 plebiscite. Puerto Rican lawyer Damaso Perez waves a Puerto Rican flag on Capitol Hill Tuesday to urge Congress to reject Puerto Rico's bid for statehood. Today the House considers a bill offering the island commonwealth a chance to choose statehood. AP PHOTO
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