January 23, 2024
This week, the Council held an Administrative Meeting and Committee of the Whole (COW) Meeting. Administrative meetings are different from legislative and COW meetings because they focus on the presentation of information and questions instead of voting on individual measures. For this Administrative Meeting, members of the Council received a presentation from the DC Sentencing Commission. The Sentencing Commission implements, monitors, and supports the District’s sentencing guidelines, and publishes various reports concerning crime and sentencing.
The Committee of the Whole meeting largely focused on two measures: (1) the Restaurant and Revitalization and Dram Shop Clarification Amendment Act of 2024 (DRAM ACT), which was introduced by Councilmember Pinto and assigned to the Committee on Business and Economic Development which is chaired by Councilmember McDuffie, and (2) the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 (Secure DC), which was introduced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto and assigned to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. Both measures will be on the non-consent portion of the agenda at the next legislative meeting, and the members agreed to work on the remaining language and policy issues before the next legislative meeting.
The Dram Act is intended to support local restaurants by excluding service charges from restaurant sales for the purposes of calculating rent (in some restaurant leases, the landlord of a restaurant agrees to accept a percentage of sales instead of a flat monthly fee) and defines service charges as charges related to the provision of alcohol. Because of this change in definition and departure from the common understanding of what a service charge is within the restaurant context, restaurants would be permitted to assess a flat fee to each bill which would be described as a service charge, but is not a gratuity. Customers would then be required to pay a service charge and encouraged to pay a gratuity fee, and restaurants would be incentivized to refrain from distributing the “service charges” among restaurant workers. Many of the Councilmembers and various workers' rights entities are concerned about enacting policies that may undermine the wages and compensation of restaurant workers, confuse customers regarding “service fees” and where they go, and possibly conflict with a proposed federal rule that may soon be approved which would ban such fees.
We are still in performance oversight and next week there will be daily hearings by the various committees to learn more about the agencies under their purview. You can find the calendar here.
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The Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs will be holding its Performance Oversight hearings on the following days:
- Thursday, January 25 (2:00pm) – Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (MOAA), Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs (MOAAA), Mayor’s Office on Fathers, Men and Boys (MOFMB), Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA)
- Wednesday, January 31 (9:30am) – Mayor’s Office on Caribbean Community Affairs (MOCCA), Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA)
- Thursday, February 1 (9:30am) – Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME)
- Wednesday, February 7 (9:30am) – DC Public Library
- Thursday, February 15 (9:30am) – Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)
- Friday, February 16 (9:30am) – Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships (ServeDC)
- Thursday, February 22 (9:30am) – Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
Anyone wishing to testify for either the Performance Oversight hearings or the hearing on DYRS must sign up in advance on the Council website by the close of business two business days before each respective hearing.
The Committee encourages the public to submit written testimony to be included in the public record. Copies of written testimony should be submitted to [email protected]. All testimony received will be part of the official record, which will be closed two weeks after each respective hearing.
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DC Pave leaders join Councilmember White for a discussion on education priorities.
January 24, 2024
Councilmember White had an inspiring meeting with DC PAVE leaders, discussing priorities of safe passage and improved programs for all students, including those with IEP’s and 504 plans. We are excited for the possibilities ahead!
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Raising Voices, Ending Violence: Empowering Youth to Create Change.
January 22, 2024
Councilmember White was inspired at the youth roundtable hosted by E’xavier Odom & @dcbluebulls and @eighttt.___ over the weekend. The youth came together to tackle the issue of violence in our communities head-on.
Youth were encouraged to let their voices be heard, to share their stories, and to pave the way for a safer and more compassionate future.
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Gas leak explosion devastates property on Marion Barry Avenue .
January 19, 2024
A building exploded due to a gas leak on the 1200 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE. Councilmember Trayon White and members of his staff joined the scene with DC Fire and EMS following their evacuation of people from the convenience store and 16 children from the Baby Einstein Child Development Center.
Since the incident, Councilmember White has spoken directly with daycare director Regina Snead and put her in touch with the OSSE Director and Deputy Mayot to support her in finding a new location for the daycare.
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Councilmember White met with UDC President on the importance of creating pathways to economic empowerment and more.
January 17, 2024
Councilmember White recently had a meeting with Dr. Maurice Edington, the newly appointed 10th president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), the second oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the country. During the meeting, Dr. Edington shared the mission of UDC and his vision for the institution. He also discussed the importance of creating a pathway to economic empowerment for DC residents, emphasizing UDC's role as a workforce and economic mobility engine for the District.
Among the diverse offerings at UDC is its nursing program. In response to a query about the possibility of establishing a pipeline for Ward 8 high school students to join the nursing program, with potential employment opportunities at the upcoming Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, Dr. Edington expressed openness to exploring such an opportunity.
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Constituent Services attend ANC 8B meeting with newly elected board members.
ANC 8B held its first community meeting of the new year. Selection of newly elected board members was held, and each newly appointed board member was sworn in by Mrs. Kathy Williams of the OANC (Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner). The results are as follows:
- Chairman: Joseph Johnson
- Vice Chairman: Alyce McFarland
- Secretary: Kimberly Little
- Treasurer: Khadijah Watson
ANC 8B was joined by one of the newly appointed MPD Lieutenant, Lt. Nicole Brown who served in Ward 3 and is now serving the residents of Ward 8. Other attendees included Ward 7 & 8 Constituents Services representatives from Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office and Ward 7 & 8 Public Affairs Manager from Pepco, who answered community questions about daily concerns. ANC 8B meetings are held every third Tuesday of each month.
The next meeting will be held on February 20, 2024, at the Seventh District Police Headquarters, located at 2455 Alabama Ave SE.
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Constituent Services met with The Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs on DC Gangs.
January 17, 2024
The Constituent Services Team met with The Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs.
This committee released a report on the DC Gang Database for its newsletter. Below is a summary from their report. The full report can be found here.
"Since 2009, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has surveilled thousands of Black and Latinx residents through its secret Gang Tracking and Analysis System (the DC Gang Database). This ongoing surveillance is not based on the premise of “protection” for all. Instead, the DC Gang Database uses narratives about the dangers of gangs, similar to gang databases in other jurisdictions, to justify person- and place-based surveillance of Black and Latinx people in DC, promoting the idea that they are inherently dangerous. Gang databases provide a ready-made way to justify ongoing surveillance, harassment, and police abuse that are unlikely to elicit widespread public pushback because the people involved are labeled “known gang members.” The DC Gang Database criminalizes activities that are legal, like the gathering of two or more people in certain areas.
The demonization of Black and Latinx communities through labeling such conduct as “gang association” justifies a type of policing that undermines social networks and reduces the power of the targeted population."
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Constituent Services met with Amerigroup DC on DC Medicaid benefits for residents.
January 16, 2024
Councilmember White's Constituent Services team with Amerigroup DC - a managed care organization in the District.
In the meeting, an array of benefits were discussed for enrolled such as:
- Dental cleanings and extractions
- X-rays
- Transportation to medical appointments
- GED vouchers for testing and more.
Amerigroup supports many community events and has a large offering for enrollees.
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January 24, 2024
The District is coming off its worst year for homicides since the late 1990s. The D.C. Council debated a new bill Tuesday that supporters believe will help reduce crime, but several council members expressed concerns about parts of the legislation. News4's Mark Segraves reports.
NBC4 Washington / WRC-TV is the No. 1 broadcast television station and the home of the most-watched local news in Washington, D.C. NBCWashington.com is the market’s most-visited local television station website across all platforms.
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