By Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post, April 23, 2015
A marathon school budget hearing kicked off Thursday morning with a group of elementary school students from Orr Elementary. Third-grader Rontay Hall told the Education Committee that the D.C. Council made a promise when he was in first grade that he would have a new school.
Across 111 schools, DCPS currently serves over 47,500 public school students. Next year, the system is projecting enrollment increases and after a couple of rounds of school closures will be opening new campuses. However, as many of you already know, for the most part, budgets across the District of Columbia government this year remained flat or experienced cuts.
For Immediate Release
April 21, 2015
Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun
(202) 724-8105
Grosso: Chaffetz Should Stop Attacking Human Rights
Washington, DC -- Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) issued the following statement on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s vote to disapprove D.C.’s Reproductive Health Non-discrimination Amendment Act of 2014:
“Coming on the heels of efforts by Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz to bully the Mayor and Council in February, Chaffetz has decided to again attack D.C. self-government. Despite his avowed dedication to limiting the federal government, Chaffetz called for a vote today to overturn a local D.C. law that I proposed last year, the Council passed unanimously, and the Mayor signed.
I call on Congress and the President to reject this inappropriate meddling by Chairman Chaffetz in D.C. affairs. Surely the Congressman’s constituents in Utah would prefer that he focus on their concerns, and not on waging ideological battle against D.C. residents. Interestingly, Utah recently enacted a new law to provide limited non-discrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in that state. If Chaffetz is so concerned about protecting people’s right to discriminate, perhaps he should seek to overturn that law, in his state, and leave D.C. alone.
As I have said before, in D.C. we stand for the human rights of everyone, including reproductive rights. There is no human right to discriminate. Chairman Chaffetz should stop worrying about the Reproductive Health Non-discrimination Amendment Act and focus on the very real problems facing Congress.”
The Reproduction Health Non-Discrimination Act of 2014 amends the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977 to ensure that individuals are protected from discrimination by an employer or employment agency based on an individual’s or dependent’s reproductive health decision making, including a decision to use or access a particular drug, device, or medical services, on the basis of an employer’s personal beliefs about such services.
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The schedule for upcoming budget hearings for the Committee on Education of the D.C. Council.
For Emancipation Day 2015, Councilmember David Grosso sent a letter of greetings to the Pearl Coalition thanking them for their Emancipation Day activities and the efforts to honor the history of the "Pearl"--a schooner chartered by African Americans to help escaped slaves in 1848.
by Lou Chibbaro, April 14, 2015, Washington Blade
D.C. Council members David Grosso (I-At-Large) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) introduced a bill on Tuesday that would require continuing education programs for licensed healthcare professionals to include LGBT related “cultural competency” training.
The LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2015 would amend an existing health care licensing law to require healthcare professionals, including doctors and mental health practitioners, to receive two credits of instruction on LGBT subjects.
The bill says the two credits of instruction would pertain to “cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, queer or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (LGBTQ).”
All nine of Grosso and Alexander’s Council colleagues signed on as co-sponsors of the bill at the Council’s regularly scheduled legislative meeting on Tuesday.
“Over 66,000 LGBTQ citizens reside in D.C., and they deserve access to medical professionals who are sensitive to and knowledgeable about the unique health needs of the LGBTQ community,” Grosso said in a statement.
Alexander, who chairs the Council’s Health Committee, said she plans to hold a hearing on the legislation as soon as possible and move the measure to a vote by the full Council following a markup on the bill. She said the legislation is especially needed for the trans community, which she said historically has experienced discrimination in seeking medical and mental health related services.
“LGBT people face substantial systemic discrimination in healthcare due to a lack of understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by the community,” said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign, which is coordinating a lobbying effort to help pass the bill.
The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Whitman-Walker Health, National Children’s Hospital, and the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community are working with HRC as part of a coalition pushing for the bill, according to a statement by HRC.
“Cultural competency is critical to reducing healthcare disparities for LGBT people and improving access to high quality healthcare, especially for transgender people,” Warbelow said.
by Will Sommer, April 14, 2015, Washington City Paper
Endorsements from two mayors and a heavy lobbying campaign weren't enough to convince the D.C. Council to let controversial correctional health provider Corizon take over at the D.C. Jail. After months of wrangling with the Tennessee-based company, a slim majority of the Council voted to disapprove the jail health contract backed by Muriel Bowser.
The dispute came down between six opponents of the contract, which looks bad because of Corizon's record for attracting lawsuits over its allegedly deficient inmate care, and proponents who either want the Council out of contract approval or because they actually think it's a good deal.
After a motion to change an approval resolution from backer Vincent Orange was amended by six councilmembers to become a disapproval (a majority on the temporarily eleven-member Council), the contract's fate was clear. Charles Allen, Mary Cheh, David Grosso, Phil Mendelson, Brianne Nadeau, and Elissa Silverman voted to disapprove, while Yvette Alexander, Anita Bonds, Jack Evans, Kenyan McDuffie, and Vincent Orange voted against efforts to shut down the contract. With the contract blocked, current jail health provider Unity will keep running jail health services for now.
The dais fight put opponents of the deal in an awkward spot, since many of them are the same good-government-minded councilmembers who generally oppose Council interference in contracting. Before introducing his resolution, Orange read off a list of councilmembers who want the Council to lose its contracting powers who are now opposed to the Corizon contract.
“Sometimes one strong, principled stance must outweigh another strong, principled stance," Grosso, the Council's most outspoken opponent of both the contract and the Council's contract approval power, said.
Orange argued that the deal had already been approved by the Office of Contracting and Procurement in two mayoral administrations, as well as the chairmen of relevant Council committees.
“We all know that the Bowser admin and the [Vince] Gray administration were like oil and water, but they both came to the conclusion that this was the appropriate avenue," Orange said.
In an emailed statement, Bowser spokesman Michael Czin pointed to Corizon's success in the Office of Contracting and Procurement's bidding process. "The Council’s action will extend overpayment for care, which does not fully meet the health needs of a vulnerable population, until a new contract can be awarded," Czin said.
(The argument that OCP approval should be enough for the contract is strange for Bowser, since, just yesterday, she told the Council that she was so unhappy with Gray's contracting boss that she paid $40,000 to push him out of her new administration).
In a statement, Corizon CEO Dr. Woodrow A. Myers, Jr. said he was "disappointed, not solely for our company, but also for the District."
For Immediate Release
April 14, 2015
Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Introduces Bill to Establish a Small Business Tax Deferral Program
Washington, D.C. – Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced the Small Business Tax Deferral Act of 2015. This legislation would establish a small business tax deferral program for those business owners with annual gross receipts that do not exceed $5 million when averaged over a three-year period.
“Small businesses provide a significant number of employment opportunities, foster growth and innovation and are often staples in the communities they serve,” said Grosso. “In D.C. we need to create a climate where small businesses not only survive but thrive and helping to alleviate the operational drain that payment of rising property taxes often causes, will certainly aid in this effort.”
According to a recent report published by the D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis, “mom and pop” shops—those with only a handful of employees—have sharply declined over the past 15 years. These businesses include florists, bookstores, hair salons, butchers and others. This legislation will help these types of businesses keep their doors open for years to come.
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For Immediate Release
April 14, 2015
Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Introduces LGBTQ Cultural Competency Legislation for Clinical Medical Providers
Washington, D.C.—Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced legislation seeking to narrow LGBT health disparities in the District of Columbia with the introduction of the “LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2015.” The legislation requires two credits of instruction on cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, queer, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
“Over 66,000 LGBTQ citizens reside in D.C., and they deserve access to medical professionals who are sensitive to and knowledgeable about the unique health needs of the LGBTQ community,” said Grosso.
According to the Joint Commission field guide, “Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care for the LGBT Community,” LGBTQ patients face barriers to equitable care, such as refusals of care, delayed or substandard care, mistreatment, inequitable policies and practices, little or no inclusion in health outreach or education, and inappropriate restrictions or limits on visitations. These factors contribute to higher instances of chronic conditions among LGBTQ individuals; higher infection rates of STDs and HIV; higher prevalence of suicide attempts, mental health illness such as anxiety, depression, and addiction; and higher instances of some cancers.
“LGBTQ health disparities are real and this is a contribution to our efforts to narrow those disparities in the District of Columbia. I am proud that my colleague from Ward 7, Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Yvette Alexander joined me in co-introducing this bill. Together, we will continue to ensure the LGBTQ community enjoys a greater quality of life in the District of Columbia,” said Grosso.
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Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), concerned about the city’s response to the widespread power outage that occurred in D.C. and the metropolitan area on April 7, sent this letter to City Administrator Rashad Young regarding the District’s emergency response plan moving forward.
For Immediate Release
April 10, 2015
Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Will Vote “No” on D.C. Jail Healthcare Services Contract
Washington, D.C. –- Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) released the following statement today on his plan to break with his history of abstaining from votes on contracts before the D.C. Council:
"On Tuesday, the Council is scheduled to vote on a contract to provide healthcare services to inmates across D.C. Department of Corrections facilities. I will vote "no." This decision was not made lightly; sometimes one strong, principled stance outweighs another principled stance. And, after careful consideration and a review of Corizon Health, Inc.'s well-documented history of failing to provide adequate medical care to inmates across the country, I must take a strong stand.
"In my time on the Council I have championed good government and ethics reform. I believe the Council's role in voting on contracts over $1 million can be used as a vehicle for corruption and I have consistently voted "present" on those contracts. Despite this practice, it has always been my contention that Council oversight of the contracting and procurement process is critical. Even if the Council was not required to vote on contracts, I would still work diligently to prevent this company from operating in the D.C. Jail given their objectionable track record.
"Awarding this contract would be an absolute failure of government to protect the health and well-being of District of Columbia residents who are in jail. Corizon's history of failing to provide necessary medical care, allowing extreme delays in medical services to persist and operating substandard facilities cannot and should not be ignored. The circumstances surrounding this contract are too egregious to overlook.
“Just as I have worked to encourage greater government transparency, accountability and heightened ethics standards, I have also grounded all of my work on the Council in the principles of human rights. Our inmates, just like everyone else, deserve to be treated with dignity. Those in D.C. corrections facilities have a human right to the highest standard of healthcare and safeguarding those rights is imperative. Therefore, I am obligated to take this deliberate, important and principled stance against this contract.”
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On April 3, 2015, Councilmember Grosso joined Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie and Attorney General Karl Racine to announce a new D.C. Superior Court policy what would end the indiscriminate shackling of youth being tried in Family Court. Grosso has worked on this issue since he learned about it in the course of passing his "Limitations on the Use of Restraints Amendment Act of 2014" which ended the shackling of pregnant inmates and detainees in D.C. adult correctional and juvenile detention facilities.
You can watch the announcement thanks to OCT/DCC:
On March 17, Councilmember Grosso sent a letter to the D.C. Department of Health asking about HIV/AIDS and STDs, sexual health education in schools, student health certificates, medical marijuana, and other topics. On April 2, we received the agency's response.
Today, Councilmember Grosso joined Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Kenyan McDuffie and Attorney General Karl Racine to announce today a policy change at the D.C. Superior Court pertaining to youth shackling. The routine and indiscriminate shackling of youth appearing in the Family Court division is coming to an end with the issuance by Chief Judge Lee Satterfield of an administrative order. The Chief Judge's order instructs judges and court personnel to remove the shackles from juveniles after they arrive in a court room for a hearing, unless there is a clear need for the youth to remain in restraints due to danger of harm to the youth or others, or danger of flight. This order is the result of close collaboration between the Chief Judge, Councilmembers, Attorney General, Public Defender Service, and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
Grosso became involved in this issue after successfully passing his "Limitations on the Use of Restraints Amendment Act of 2014", which prohibited the use of shackles on pregnant women and girls in D.C. jail or detention centers. He visited the courts, met with the U.S. Marshals and the Chief Judge, and saw the practice of shackling youth with his own eyes. Grosso and his staff will keep a close eye on implementation of the new administrative order to ensure that youth are not being needlessly shackled. Councilmember Grosso is prepared to introduce legislation if necessary to safeguard the human rights and due process of youth in the courts if the new policy does not live up to its expectations. You can view the order below.
Here is the the capital budget for the education sector as proposed by Mayor Bowser today. We find this format to be easier to read and comprehend--we hope you do to. Happy budget digging.
Councilmember Grosso often sends letters to agencies with additional questions after their performance oversight hearings. On March 4, 2015, Grosso sent a letter with questions about residential and commercial property tax assessments to the Chief Financial Officer, and received a response on March 26, 2015. We thank the CFO for the quick response, and both letters are below--first the Councilmember's followed by the CFO's response.
As Indiana considers ways to fix its religious discrimination bill, the Human Rights Act of the District of Columbia provides excellent language that Indiana could use to ensure that LGBTQ individuals are not the targets of religious discrimination. It is important to note that Part E, relating to educational institutions, had a religious exemption passed by Congress. The Council recently removed that religious exemption, which is currently under Congressional review.
§2-1402.01 Subchapter II, Prohibited Acts of Discrimination. Part A. General:
(a) Every individual shall have an equal opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and intellectual life of the District and to have an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of life, including, but not limited to, in employment, in places of public accommodation, resort or amusement, in educational institutions, in public service and in housing and commercial space accommodations.
§2-1402.11 Part B. Employment:
(a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice to do any of the following acts, wholly or partially for a discriminatory reason based upon the actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearances, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, or political affiliation by any individual:…
§2-1402.21 Part C. Housing and Commercial Space:
(a) It shall be unlawful discriminator practice to do any of the following acts, wholly or partially for a discriminatory reason based on the actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, disability matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, status as a victim of an intrafamily offense, or place of residence or business of any individual:…
§2-1402.31 Part D. Public Accommodations:
(a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice to do any of the following acts, wholly or partially for a discriminatory reason based on the actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, or place of residence or business of any individual:…
§2-1402.41 Part E. Education Institutions:
It is an unlawful discriminatory practice…for an educational institution:
(1) To deny, restrict, or to abridge or condition the use of, or access to, any of its facilities, services, programs, or benefits of any program or activity to any person otherwise qualified, wholly or partially, for a discriminatory reason, based upon the actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or disability of any individual;…
Today, D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) sent a letter to the Mayor asking her to support the effort of the Funk Parade to march down U Street NW on May 2, 2015.
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2015
Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun
(202) 724-8105
Washington, D.C. – Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) is calling for a ban on the use of public funds for travel to the State of Indiana after Governor Pence legalized and defended anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Governor Pence signed legislation on Thursday, March 26, 2015, which legalizes discrimination based on religious beliefs.
“Discrimination has no place in the District of Columbia, and our public employees should not be forced to travel to a place that prides itself on fueling anti-LGBTQ animosity. The blatant bigotry on display by Governor Pence and the legislature leads me to believe that Indiana is not a safe place for our public employees to travel. Our government should not support any jurisdiction that displays such bigotry, and the Mayor should ban all publicly financed travel to Indiana and stand firmly with our LGBTQ public servants and residents,” said Grosso.
“The District of Columbia has a strong record of support for our LGBTQ residents and employees by protecting all individuals from discrimination. My ‘Reproductive Health Nondiscrimination Act’ that is currently being challenged by Republicans in Congress, would ban this kind of religious discrimination by private employers for employees seeking abortion services. Religious discrimination rephrased as ‘religious freedom’ is still discrimination, whether it is discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity—it has no place in the District of Columbia.”
Grosso has a strong record of support for the LGBTQ community including support for repeal of the discriminatory Armstrong Amendment, which allowed for religious discrimination in higher education; banning so-called conversion therapy for LGBT youth; and support for LGBT homeless youth support services, among many others.
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For the past two years, I have introduced and supported legislation to advance and promote the human rights of every District of Columbia resident. I understand that improvements to our various sectors cannot be achieved in a vacuum. Real change demands government accountability, transparency and openness.
To this end, I have been a fierce advocate for ethics reform, particularly as it relates to the Council’s role in voting on contracts over $1 million. I believe that this authority can be viewed as a vehicle for corruption, enabling lawmakers to exert undue influence over the contract procurement process, and I have voted “present” on all contracts to promote and encourage a commitment to good government. I have also engaged in oversight monitoring the performance of government contractors and the integrity of procurement processes through other avenues. However, there are times when circumstances arise that are too egregious to ignore, warranting immediate action.
After significant research, including a visit to the D.C. jail, meetings with advocates and a meeting with the CEO of Corizon, I determined that awarding the D.C. Jail contract for healthcare services to Corizon, would violate the human rights of D.C. residents who are incarcerated. The World Health Organization’s Constitution enshrines the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being. This right includes access to timely and quality healthcare. Unfortunately, Corizon has repeatedly failed to meet this standard.
The company, a Tennessee-based for profit, has a well-documented history of failing to provide necessary medical care, allowing extreme delays in medical services to persist, and operating substandard facilities. Over the past five years there have been over 1,000 lawsuits filed against Corizon for neglect and abuse. Additionally, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Minnesota have all ended their contracts with Corizon for poorly delivered healthcare services. Just recently, the New York City Council publicly challenged Corizon and questioned whether it was time to end the healthcare services contract, which Corizon holds at Rikers Island.
The examples of Corizon’s deplorable services are innumerable and while it may be argued that prison healthcare is in general need of reform, the District of Columbia cannot disregard the ample evidence of gross systemic deficiencies. Awarding this contract would be an absolute failure of government to protect the health and well-being of District of Columbia inmates. Even if the Council did not vote on contracts, I would work diligently to stop this one from going forward. The gravity of the circumstances have required me to take a strong stand.
