Puerto Rico Statehood Referendum

[Jacob]

Apparently Puerto Rico is going to have a referendum on statehood. Puerto Rican statehood is part of both the GOP and Democratic platforms.

How would a yes-vote play out?

[The Brain]

Hard statehood.

[celedhring]

Is it referendum day? Our regional government has called (yet another) independence referendum today. October 1st.

[celedhring]

Isn't a huge hangup re Puerto Rico statehood that they would almost always return 2 Dem senators?

[Valmy]

New States have to be admitted by Congress. They will find an excuse not to honor this referendum.

Edit: The polls indicate a pretty decisive win for statehood. We will see if that makes it harder for Congress to find an excuse if that happens.

[Valmy]

Isn't a huge hangup re Puerto Rico statehood that they would almost always return 2 Dem senators?

I do not think that is true. It is the Right Wing party that controls most of the government of the island right now.

[Valmy]

Is it referendum day? Our regional government has called (yet another) independence referendum today. October 1st.

It is on Sunday.

And  about your referendum

[Ed Anger]

Ugh

[dps]

Isn't a huge hangup re Puerto Rico statehood that they would almost always return 2 Dem senators?

I do not think that is true. It is the Right Wing party that controls most of the government of the island right now.

Can't really count on these things anyway.  When Alaska was granted statehood, it was assumed they'd always return 2 Democratic Senators, which hasn't been the case.

[11B4V]

No

[CountDeMoney]

No

[Grinning_Colossus]

We'd get a cool 51-star flag

[DontSayBanana]

Even if they vote yes, it's going to take a few years before any formal admission would happen, and it would probably be contingent on Puerto Rico getting its books in better order. With as sore a subject as our economy's been, nobody in Congress is going to want to be blamed for adding all that red ink directly to the national ledgers.

[Ed Anger]

We'd get a cool 51-star flag

Timmy made a flag.

[Jacob]

Is it referendum day? Our regional government has called (yet another) independence referendum today. October 1st.

What's the likely outcome?