DC Government

Photo by PoPville flickr user KJinDC

From Councilmember Grosso’s office:

“The following is a statement by Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) on the government shutdown of websites that allowed sex workers to operate with a greater degree of safety than on the streets:

“The latest government attacks on online platforms used by sex workers are directly undermining the safety, health, and human rights of these individuals. I am deeply concerned as I read the reactions of D.C. residents who will be pushed into less safe situations on the streets where they will be subjected to more violence, have decreased ability to negotiate condom use, and encounter greater risk of arrest, making them less likely to contact authorities if they are attacked. In working with communities in D.C. over the past few years to develop better policy approaches to the issue of commercial sex, I have heard far too many personal stories of violence and harm as a result of the criminalized nature of the sex trade. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From Councilmember Charles Allen’s office:

“Today, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen will introduce the Youth Vote Amendment Act of 2018 to lower the voting age in the District of Columbia to 16.

“At the age of 16, our society already gives young people greater legal responsibility. They can drive a car. They can work. Some are raising a family or helping their family make ends meet. They pay taxes. Ironically, they pay fees to get a license plate that reads ‘Taxation Without Representation.’ I think its time to change that,” said Councilmember Allen.

Councilmember Allen continued: “Some people will say young people aren’t mature or educated enough. But I beg to differ. Just a few weeks ago, young District residents organized a citywide school walkout and spoke passionately at the Rally for DC Lives calling for an end to gun violence. In hearings on our schools, students testified with well-informed opinions. And yet, they can’t exercise their voice where it matters most – at the ballot box.”

The bill would remove the Board of Elections pre-registration system and simply allow a District resident to register and vote starting on their 16th birthday in elections including Council, Mayor, State Board of Education, ANC, Congressional Representative, Shadow Senator, and President. (more…)

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser today announced the launch of PaveDC, a comprehensive plan to eliminate all roads in poor condition in Washington, DC by 2024. The PaveDC plan has four priorities: road rehabilitation, road maintenance, alley repair and reconstruction, and sidewalk reconstruction. The Mayor also kicked off the 10th annual Potholepalooza – a month-long campaign led by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to accelerate pothole repairs across Washington, DC. (more…)

From the DMV Food Truck Association:

“On April 1st, DC’s Office of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) made a simple yet devastating policy change that only serves to impede small business growth and put food truck owners out of business; and we’re the ones “fooled” if we stand by and do nothing. The DMV Food Truck Association (DMVFTA) believes this change is misguided and unfair to all food trucks. Since this change, DMVFTA has been nothing but vocal about their feelings and support for their members, and DCRA has been nothing but silent to respond.

DCRA manages the DC food truck lottery system which provides vending spaces along the 10 most popular food truck vending streets in the city. DCRA has now decided, unilaterally of course, that only one truck per business can enter the lottery.

This one simple change is particularly catastrophic for businesses with two or more food trucks which maintain staff on all of them throughout the year. (more…)

The following was written by PoPville contributor David McAuley, founder of Short Articles about Long Meetings.

“This tweet says the deadline is March 30, but you should still be able to attend.”

If there is a liquor store near you that has been a bad neighbor, now is a great time to make your displeasure known. It is liquor license renewal season and tonight (April 5), the DC government is holding a free information session for people who want to know about procedure to protest a new or renewal liquor license.

Sarah Fashbaugh, Community Resource Officer at DC’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), appeared before Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw on April 3 to remind about the renewal season and about the information session. Attendees at tonight’s session will learn about the relevant DC laws and the procedures to file an official protest, among other topics. (more…)

From the Mayor’s Office:

“On Thursday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m., twenty jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, will simultaneously issue a test message to the public through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. WEA is a public safety alerting system allowing government officials to target emergency information to a specific geographic area using an individual’s cell phone or other mobile device. WEA allows the messaging to be more targeted and efficient which is critical during an emergency. (more…)