AP: Bill to decide Puerto Rico's status moves forward
A U.S. congressional committee approved a proposal Wednesday that would let Puerto Ricans decide their island’s political status. It was unclear whether the full Congress would consider the bill.
The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee approved the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, which was submitted by the island’s resident commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi.
Voters would choose between keeping the island’s commonwealth status, adopted in 1952, or to opt for something different. In the latter case, a second plebiscite would let them decide whether they wanted statehood, independence or independence with a loose association to the United States.
