The RSS has issued a statement (PDF) in response to proposals to dismantle Puerto Rico’s independent statistical agency, 'El Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico' (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics - PRIS).
The plans will - if necessary enabling legislation is passed - see the Institute become part of the government's Department of Economic Development, which would then outsource statistical work to the private sector.
The RSS believes the governance of all statistical systems must be independent in order to ensure government policies are based impartially on the facts. In our statement (PDF), we urge the Puerto Rican legislature to reconsider their plans and allow the Institute of Statistics to continue providing impartial statistical analyses that are critical for efficient and effective administration.
We have been watching these events unfold in Puerto Rico for some time, as reported in Significance magazine, which we publish jointly with the American Statistical Association (ASA).
The ASA has also urged the Puerto Rican Government to overturn the decision with an online petition, which now has nearly 3,000 signatures.
UPDATE, 8 May 2018: The RSS added its name to a letter Read more about it here. (PDF) or follow #FactsMatterPR on Twitter.