investment

“As a government we will continue to rebuild our drinking water infrastructure to make it a stronger and more resilient one,” Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said. “The support that Puerto Rico is receiving from the federal government through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is fundamental to our most disadvantaged communities and will result in a better quality of life for all.”

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón pointed out that “[i]n the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we saw the need to strengthen such infrastructure to prevent water service interruptions and ensure our communities have access to drinking water at all times.”

Local gun owners group urges PR to follow Florida’s lead on loosening of firearms law

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico Gun License Holder Defense Corp. (CODEPOLA by its Spanish acronym) President Ariel Torres Meléndez said Wednesday that he fully supports Florida’s recently enacted Law 543, which eliminates concealed gun permits and will allow gun owners to carry firearms in the state without the currently required license and training and urged Puerto Rico to follow Florida’s lead.

Torres Meléndez said the thousands of Puerto Rican citizens who have a gun license from the state of Florida should be attentive to how the process will go, adding that Puerto Ricans who will travel in the coming days could take their guns and should be attentive because House Bill 543, approved by the Florida Senate on March 30, will not enter into force until July 1.

Torres Meléndez said the law enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which made Florida the 26th state in the nation to approve similar legislation, favors Puerto Rico because “first, this decision that all politicians are aware of today, opens their eyes to look at the status of us Puerto Ricans in the future.”

He added that “I have always questioned why there is a gun registry. Well, look, there is the answer. It has just been given by the governor of Florida.”

“A lot of states are going to rethink how much registration costs me, Department of Agriculture staff in Florida, everything had to be considered and they made a decision: delete it,” Torres Meléndez said.

The gun owners’ rights advocate emphasized that it is a correct and forward-looking law that “opens the way for us who believe in the Second Amendment that there can be changes, and I will fight for that.”