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How the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 Forced the Formation of an Activist Collective

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The Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 was supposed to bring D.C.’s criminal sentencing laws into the 21st century. Instead, thanks to Congressional intervention and a veto from President Joe Biden, it came to exemplify D.C.’s precarious position in American government. Because Congress must approve all permanent D.C. legislation before it becomes law, a few representatives elected by people living thousands of miles from D.C. can impose their will on D.C. residents whenever they feel like it. In 2023, they’ve imposed their will quite frequently.

City Paper contributor Serena Zets explains how these interventions harm D.C. residents and how organizers, councilmembers, and advocates are continuing to fight against these interventions in a pair of new stories.

Zets writes:

Hands Off DC, the coalition of statehood activists and local elected officials who first came together to demand Congress respect D.C.’s right to self-governance after the Senate voted to overturn local criminal code reform, is now gearing up for a new fight. The March vote in Congress to overturn D.C.’s revised criminal code sparked this new organizing movement to curtail congressional interference in the District’s affairs and press for statehood and local autonomy. More recently, in June, Republican members of Congress introduced a series of budget riders that attempt to strip away D.C. residents’ rights to basic healthcare, workplace privacy, harm reduction services, and more. 

“None of it is a serious attempt to improve life for people in D.C. It’s all just political theater that will get them on Fox News, but it has the potential to really harm D.C. communities,” Alex Dodds, an organizer with Hands Off DC, tells Washington City Paper

Read both stories and find out how you can get involved in the push for statehood on our website.

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Metro employees helped deliver a baby on an Orange Line train earlier this month and were commended for their efforts at yesterday’s board meeting. Being born on a train gets the baby free rides for life, right, WMATA? [WTOP, DCist]
  • New fareboxes are being installed on Metrobuses, which will allow passengers to board from all doors starting in the fall. [Post]
  • Three years on from the height of the pandemic, downtown D.C. is still struggling to attract crowds on weekdays. [DCist]
  • How’s this for terrible timing? As the heat wave continues, Wilson Aquatic Center, which reopened just last month, is closed until July 31 after exceeding the humidity threshold. [DPW]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • D.C.’s failure to effectively pursue its “Vision Zero” goals has particularly dire consequences east of the river, where wide roadways and a lack of transit access promote dangerous driving. Still, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White is skeptical about the need for more traffic calming: “A lot of development companies are getting rich … putting all these infrastructures in the street that haven’t equated to traffic safety,” he says. [Informer]
  • Mayor Muriel Bowser says she’s waiting on the results of a new study she commissioned before she discusses the possibility of using public money to pay for a new Commanders stadium. But Council Chair Phil Mendelson is already arguing against that idea, saying: “We don’t have the money.” Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has also renewed his opposition. [NBC Washington, Twitter]
  • Metro will pursue some cost saving moves as it faces a massive budget deficit, perhaps triggering a nasty fight with its biggest union. But Allen, the Council’s transportation committee chair, cautions that “there’s just no way around” finding new revenue to plug the gap. [Post]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Diner en Blanc, the picnic with an all-white dress code, returns to D.C. on Sept. 9. [WTOP]
  • In a battle of local breakfast sandwiches, the English muffin sandwich from Hog Haven Farms came out on top. Find it at local farmers markets. [Axios]
  • Clyde’s Restaurant Group will open a seafood concept based around a charcoal grill on Morse Street NE, near Union Market, next year. [Eater]
  • Mustard Skittles sound disgusting, IMO, but they’ll be available for sampling in D.C. on Wednesday. [Washingtonian]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Solid State Books has become the second bookstore in the District to unionize and it took only 17 days to reach an agreement. [UFCW400]
  • At 18, D.C. jazz pianist José André Montaño is already wowing big name mentors and playing all over the world. [Informer

By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Pack your weekend with sports: The Mubadala Citi Open comes to Rock Creek Park, four Premier League teams face off at FedEx Field, and the Women’s World Cup is on all weekend at As You Are Bar. [Axios]
  • Before playing in the Mubadala Citi Open, local tennis star Frances Tiafoe launched the Frances Tiafoe Fund at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park. It will distribute grants to young people who train at the facility. [WTOP]
  • Despite being shorter than most WNBA players, Mystics guard Brittney Sykes is winning jump balls and blocking shots. [NBC Sports Washington]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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