By THE STAR STAFF Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Executive Director Orlando Rivera Berríos said Thursday that the Financial Oversight and Management Board should be approving $100 million this week to cover payments to special education service academies. In a radio interview, Rivera stated that he is concerned about how a $5 billion budget for the Department of Education is facing such “pressing” needs, and that he will personally evaluate the use of resources within

The 1999 Law for the Protection and Conservation of the Karst Physiography of Puerto Rico was passed to recognize the unique value of the karst region and establish mechanisms to protect essential resources for Puerto Rico, including aquifers, caves, sinkholes and ecosystems. (Wikipedia) By THE STAR STAFF Environmental organization Citizens of the Karst (CDK) expressed concern this week over House Bill (HB) 1079, which they claim would weaken fundamental protections for one o

Rep. Swanny Enit Vargas Laureano By THE STAR STAFF Rep. Swanny Enit Vargas Laureano of the Popular Democratic Party announced the filing of House Bill 1287, a measure she introduced along with Dignity Project Rep. Lisie Burgos Muñiz to establish a mandatory and continuous system that guarantees the removal of deceased individuals from the voter registry within a maximum of 25 days. The legislators said the bill will be an effective tool for quickly cleaning up the voter regis

Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez By THE STAR STAFF Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez announced on Thursday the disbursement of $100.3 million in initial tax relief payments to 221,381 taxpayers. “We have already sent out a first batch of ‘Cheque para Ti’ [Check for You] payments to 221,381 taxpayers whose tax returns had already been processed and who met the requirements to receive the tax relief,” Pantoja Rodríguez said during a press conference. The trea