DC Council Votes, Reluctantly, to Allow Public to Carry Concealed Weapons – [Chairman] Mendelson said the new carry legislation is among the strictest in the nation, with the city preparing to join the likes of Maryland, New Jersey and New York in establishing a highly restrictive regime that requires applicants to state good reason to carry a weapon. [The Washington Post]
CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE
PR 20-1018, Compensation Collective Bargaining Agreement between the District of Columbia Public Schools and Teamsters Local 639, Affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Emergency Approval Resolution of 2014
PR 20-1020, Compensation and Collective Bargaining Agreement between the District of Columbia Government Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of
Congress Takes Up Bill to Make DC the 51st State – Chairman Mendelson testified on behalf of the DC Council in support of DC Statehood. The Chairman’s testimony can be found here. [The Washington Post]
Proposed Legislation Would Allow Some to Carry Guns in DC – The bill would require residents to prove they have a “legitimate need” to carry a gun a public….Council Chairman Phil Mendelson says the city still has some work to do in defining what kind of personal threats would qualify for a permit. [Washington City Paper]
DC Considers Bill to Encourage Urban Farming on Vacant Lots – The bill has gained substantial support in the council with Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) and mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) joining as co-sponsors. [The Washington Post]
Are D.C. railways secure? The Council asked and EMS answered.– Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), who hosted the hearing and led the questioning on rail security, asked if the city’s emergency agencies know how often CSX conducts security drills. [The Washington Post]
DC Statehood Hearing Will Feature Mix of Officials And Experts – A witness list released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee includes two panels, one consisting of nonvoting Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Democrats all. [The Washington Post]
DC Anti-Truancy Program is Getting More Kids to School – Phil Mendelson (D), chairman of the D.C. Council, said that the city is shifting its approach to addressing truancy. “In the past, we’ve treated it as something wrong, to be punished,” he said, noting that it instead should be something that “tells us that something is going on.” [The Washington Post]
An Interview with Phil Mendelson, Chairman, DC City Council – “I see my role as the chair of the legislative branch, the co-equal branch of government.” [The Georgetown Dish]
CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING
Bill 20-722, Percy Battle Way Designation Act of 2014
Bill 20-831, D.C. No Taxation Without Representation Way Designation Act of 2014
Bill 20-893, D.C. Statehood Now Boulevard Designation Act of 2014
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announces a public hearing of the Committee of the Whole on Bill 20-722, the “Percy Battle Way Designation Act of 2014,” Bill 20-831, the “D.C. No Taxation Without Representation Way Designation Act of 2014,” and Bill 20-893, the “D.C. Statehood Now Boulevard Designation Act of 2014.” The public hearing will be held Thursday, October 16, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. in Hearing Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
The stated purpose of Bill 20-722 is to symbolically designate the 1100 block of Chicago Street, S.E., between Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E. and Railroad Avenue, S.E., in Ward 8, as Percy Battle Way. The stated purpose of Bill 20-831 is to symbolically designate First Street, N.E and First Street, S.E. between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, in Ward 6 as D.C. No Taxation Without Representation Way. The stated purpose of Bill 20-893 is to symbolically designate the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., in Ward 2, as D.C. Statehood Now Boulevard.
Those who wish to testify are asked to telephone the Committee of the Whole, at (202) 724-8196, or e-mail Evan Cash, Committee Director, at ecash@dccouncil.us and provide their name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation, if any, by the close of business Tuesday, October 14, 2014. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony. If submitted by the close of business on October 14, 2014, the testimony will be distributed to Councilmembers before the hearing. Witnesses should limit their testimony to five minutes; less time will be allowed if there are a large number of witnesses. A copy of the Bills can be obtained through the Legislative Services Division of the Secretary of the Council’s office or on http://lims.dccouncil.us.
If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee of the Whole, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 410 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2014.