Suzannah Hoover / DCist/WAMU
It’s that time of the year. The pools are closed, the schools are open, and the Wilson Building is bustling. After a summer recess, D.C. councilmembers have returned to the dais for a new legislative session, with a hefty plate of bills on their lap.
Over the next few months, lawmakers will spend their days in hearings, roundtables, and legislative sessions hoping to push through at least a few of the bills on their agendas. (Because it’s the middle of the council’s two-year legislative cycle, if a bill doesn’t make it to a vote by December, it can live through to next year without needing a reintroduction.)
Lawmakers will hold their first legislative meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19. A full calendar of hearings and meetings can be found on the council’s website. It’ll be a busy fall, but we’ve rounded up some of the top-line issues we’ll be watching for.
Addressing violent crime
After a summer of violence, lawmakers are returning to the Wilson Building with the task of nailing down a permanent bill to address this year’s increase in violent crime. An uptick in homicides – a 28% increase over this time last year – and gun violence has left residents traumatized and exhausted.
Before the council went on summer recess, lawmakers pushed through an emergency public safety bill amid mounting pressure from Mayor Muriel Bowser, who proposed a broader crime bill in May. The council’s legislation, introduced by Ward 2 Councilmember and chair of the...
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