DC Bill Would Raise Age to Purchase Cigarettes to 21 – McDuffie unsuccessfully introduced similar legislation in 2013. At the time, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said, according to NBCWashington, that the city should leave the legal age where it is and “continue to step up efforts to discourage smoking.” Brian Moore, Mendelson’s chief of staff, said Monday, the chairman’s position hasn’t changed.  [The Washington Post]

DC Mayor Poised to Win Again at the Ballot Box, Gaining Allies on Council – Asked about the potential of having two pro-Bowser colleagues on the council, Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) cautioned that neither Bowser, Todd nor May should expect much of the arrangement should they win.  “To the extent that a patron like the mayor expects that she can pull strings, they are working against the dynamic needed in any legislature: consensus,” he said. “And if the person elected intends to do only what the mayor wants — equally, he or she is quickly going to find that they will be marginalized.”  [The Washington Post]

DC’s Attorney General Seeks Bigger Budget – Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said he would like to see the District’s attorney general become a leading advocate for consumer protection, on par with state attorneys general from New York and California. But he said the council may have to find another way to help fund the effort. The council last year earmarked most of the money expected from a potential settlement with Expedia and Priceline to go to future Metro capital costs, he said.  “It’s not completely on him” to find the funding, Mendelson said of Racine. “I hope the mayor will fund it, and I’m sure if she doesn’t, the council will take a look at it.”  [The Washington Post]

Big Challenges in DC Mayor Bowser’s Vow to Activate, Expand Streetcar Line – “Mayor [Vincent C.] Gray said we had essentially killed the program by leaving it with over a half-billion dollars, which did not make any sense to me,” Mendelson said.  Mendelson said he supports extending the line to the Benning Road Metro, and making initial investments over the next year or two on planning the K Street extension to Georgetown. But he said he wants to see how the H Street and Benning Road line works in practice “before we spend significant bucks on extending the system further.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Offers $13B Budget with Sales and Parking Tax Increases –  Despite the good intentions for the revenue, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson expressed displeasure with the proposal to increase the sales tax.  “You don’t need to raise taxes when revenues are growing,” said Mr. Mendelson, at-large Democrat.  [The Washington Times]

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The Quality of Health Care for Inmates in DC is What Matters – Chairman Mendelson’s letter to the editor regarding the Corizon health care contract.  [The Washington Post]

Driving While Texting and Talking Still a Problem, Despite Laws – Council Chair Phil Mendelson has legislation proposed that would stiffen the penalties for repeat offenders. Right now, the fine is only $100 and on a first offense can be waived if you purchase a hands free device.  Mendelson’s proposal would no longer waive the fine.  Drivers caught three times within 18 months would be fined $400 and their driver’s license and car registration temporarily suspended.  [Fox 5 DC]

Mendelson to Lankford: DC Bills Don’t Violate Religious Freedom – “There is no intent on our part to violate the rights of others, such as freedom of religion,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson wrote in a two-page letter sent to Lankford on March 20.  [Roll Call]

Marco Rubio Takes Aim at Restrictive DC Gun Control Laws – “This proposal is reckless and disregards our country’s national security,” said DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a Democrat. “All that would remain to protect the public leaders and citizens from gun violence is federal law, and federal law has proven to be inadequate.”  [The Washington Times]

DC Responds to Marijuana Investigation – Council Chairman Phil Mendelson laid out the argument that the roundtable did not violate the law, including a memo from Racine, in his response, which was obtained by CQ Roll Call. Mendelson noted that the Oversight staff agreed to consider limiting the employee disclosure to council members, rather than council employees who participated in the discussion.  “We are concerned that the disclosure of Council staffers’ names may cause them or their families to feel intimidated,” Mendelson wrote in the letter. Mendelson also said he would be happy to meet with Chaffetz and Meadows, writing, “Indeed, a meeting might be more useful to you.”   [Roll Call]

Mayor Changes Course in Budget Autonomy Fight in the District – Mendelson (D) said he knew the mayor had been considering the move for several weeks and said he hoped the judge would weigh seriously the new mayor’s position.  “We believe strongly in the correctness of our position, and the mayor’s position now shares that view,” Mendelson said. “The obvious part is that we are pleased with her decision but, in the end, what’s important is the merits of the case: The overwhelming vote of citizens was a legitimate process for amending the Home Rule Act.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Jail Medical Contract Sparks City Council Criticism – DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat, also has expressed skepticism about the Corizon award, having noted that the number of lawsuits filed against the District regarding inmate health care and the value of losses paid out in those cases have “plummeted” in the time Unity has held the contract.  [The Washington Times]