ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 2, 1995                   TAG: 9505020143
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: PONCE, PUERTO RICO                                LENGTH: Short

PUERTO RICO PLANS TO SEEK STATEHOOD

The governing party has unanimously voted to actively lobby Washington for Puerto Rican statehood and to hold an island-wide plebiscite in 1998.

Until the vote was taken Sunday, the New Progressive Party had been split over how quickly to seek statehood for the U.S. commonwealth.

But the party joined ranks after debating a proposal in Congress that would impose federal taxes on Puerto Rico and the four U.S. territories in exchange for the same federal aid states receive. The proposal, still being drafted, also would phase out Puerto Rico's special tax breaks but does not include statehood.

- Associated Press 


 by CNB