Councilmember David Grosso announces the scheduling of a public hearing of the Committee on Education on B21-0350, “Substitute Teacher Leave Clarification Amendment Act of 2015.” The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 29, 2016 in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building.
Councilmember David Grosso, chairperson of the Committee on Education, and Chairman Phil Mendelson, chairperson of the Committee of the Whole announces the scheduling of a joint public hearing on B21-0508, “School Attendance Clarification Amendment Act of 2015.” The hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 21, 2016 in Hearing Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building.
Responses from DCPS/DGS to a letter Grosso sent regarding the management and completion of certain small capital projects at School Without Walls at Francis Stevens, along with original letter.
Councilmember David Grosso's letter to Mayor Bowser on his priorities for the Fiscal Year 2017 District of Columbia budget.
As the year draws to a close, Councilmember Grosso provides a brief video update, reflecting on his work in 2015. It was his first year as Chairperson of the Committee on Education, and his third year in office.
For Immediate Release
December 18, 2015
Contact: Keenan Austin
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Condemns Congressional Meddling in Omnibus Budget Bill
Washington, DC -- Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) issued the following statement on the omnibus spending bill to prevent a federal government shutdown:
“It is disappointing that once again the District of Columbia loses at the hands of political gamesmanship in Congress. Congressional leadership has wrongly interfered with D.C.’s ability to govern itself by attacking the rights of women and families to make their own decisions about pregnancy and blocking the local elected officials from deciding our own drug laws including the legalization of marijuana,” said Grosso.
“It is past time for Congress to stop treating D.C. as a petri dish for members' ideas, and allow the residents to have self determination.”
For Immediate Release:
December 15, 2015
Contact: Darby Hickey
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Introduces Resolution Calling on Congress to Adopt Comprehensive Gun Control Legislation
Washington, D.C.--Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced a Sense of the Council resolution calling on Congress to act swiftly and decisively to protect all Americans from further gun violence by enacting sensible and comprehensive gun control measures. The resolution has full Council support with all members joining as co-introducers. In addition, the resolution demands that Congress refrain from adopting legislation that would restrict the District of Columbia government's ability to legislate the regulation of firearms.
"Yesterday marked the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre where a gunman tragically murdered 26 people in Newtown, Connecticut. Since then, Congress has failed time and time again to pass gun reform laws," Grosso said. "I introduced this resolution because Congress has a responsibility to protect all Americans. They can demonstrate their commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of all Americans by reforming the woefully inadequate gun laws that currently exist."
Everytown for Gun Safety reports that there have been 161 incidences of school shootings across the nation since 2013. In the past 349 days of this year, there have been 355 mass shootings in the United States.
"This is a call to action," said Grosso. "It is time for Congress to adopt practical and comprehensive gun control measures."
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It’s a wet, chilly December morning in the nation’s capital, but the mood is upbeat in the Wilson Building, the seat of city government in Washington. D.C. Here council member David Grosso is about to unveil his latest campaign finance reform bill.
“I’m excited to be here this morning for this press conference,” he told a crowd of supporters. Grosso called the press conference to introduce what he calls fair elections legislation: a bill that would establish public financing for local candidates to counteract big money in city elections.
“For me this is about lifting up the voice of the everyday voter and making sure that individuals in the District of Columbia feel that they have the same power as the big corporations have,” he said.
[David Grosso announces campaign finance reform legislation.]
David Grosso announces campaign finance reform legislation.
Office of Council Member David Grosso
Earlier, Grosso told me he modeled his legislation after a public financing law in Connecticut, and he noticed that Seattle voters passed a measure establishing publicly funded vouchers that voters can hand out to candidates. Maine voters updated their public financing system too. Grosso said there is a common theme across it all.
“The Supreme Court has ruled; I think the Congress members aren’t doing much of anything at all, so they’re really kind of stuck," he said. "So, all these local jurisdictions are starting to say, 'Hey, we can try to tackle this on our own.'”
Nick Penniman wants to help those local jurisdictions. He heads a campaign finance reform group called Issue One. He wants to help local lawmakers like Grosso introduce legislation on things like public financing of elections, ethics, and lobbying reform. His plan? Develop boilerplate reform legislation for local politicians.
“We want to be able to give them great models that they can pull off the shelf, slap their name on, file and begin fighting for reform at the state and local level,” he said.
There’s just one problem. A few problems, actually, according to Richard Briffault. He’s an expert on campaign finance law at Columbia University. Voters can have mixed feelings about public financing of elections.
“I mean public funding has often been criticized as welfare for politicians," he said. "You get politicians saying the public’s money should go to schools or police, and not to campaigns. And that’s a popular stance.”
And then you have to get candidates to accept public money and the restrictions on private fundraising that usually come with it.
“Public funding is not going to work, in the sense of becoming taken on by significant candidates, unless there’s a significant amount of money,” Briffault said.
Still, Briffault notes, it’s not a bad idea to pick your battles, and focus on cities and states where there’s an appetite for campaign finance reform. For Nick Penniman of Issue One, his ultimate goal is national reform.
“What we’re trying to do is build momentum at the state level so that we can eventually surround Washington with victories and with energy that Washington won’t be able to bat away anymore,” he said.
Penniman said this is like the Gilded Age, the time around the turn of the 20th century when a hyperconcentration of wealth and political corruption led to major campaign finance reform. Unfortunately, it didn’t last.
Earlier this fall, after discussions with advocates and community members, Councilmember Grosso sent letters to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Human Services out of concern that some policies are unnecessarily creating barriers for residents when they need to access identity documents. In particular, Grosso was concerned about the ability to get identity cards or driver's licenses for D.C. foster youth in placements outside of D.C., homeless residents, returning citizens, and low income residents who may have trouble producing certain documents or paying certain fees.
In response to Grosso's letters, both DMV and DHS took immediate steps to improve or clarify their policies, and began discussions to update others. You can read the letters below--first Grosso's letter to DMV and the response from Director Babers, second Grosso's letter to DHS and the response from Director Zeilinger. The Councilmember thanks these agencies for their willingness to engage on these issues and make changes to their policies.
For Immediate Release:
December 9, 2015
Contact: Darby Hickey
(202) 724-8105
Committee Approves Grosso’s Bill to Improve Health of LGBTQ Residents
Washington, D.C.--Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) joined his colleagues on the D.C. Council Committee on Health and Human Services in a unanimous vote to approve the LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2015. Introduced by Grosso and Councilmember Yvette Alexander in April, the legislation requires medical professionals, renewing their licenses in D.C., to take two credits of cultural competency training focused on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, queer, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“During the hearing on this bill, we heard truly heart breaking stories from LGBTQ residents about mistreatment they experienced at the hands of medical providers,” said Grosso. “In particular, our transgender friends and neighbors face disrespect and misunderstanding in medical settings, and this bill will continue our work to correct this serious problem.”
As many as one in five transgender people in D.C. have been denied medical care due to their gender, according to research released by the D.C. Trans Coalition last month in the "Access Denied" report. Locally and nationally, higher instances of chronic conditions among LGBTQ individuals have been documented, including higher rates of STDs and HIV, suicide attempts, mental illness, and some cancers.
“Quality medical care is often a life or death issue, and it is always a human right,” said Grosso. “I am grateful to Committee on Health and Human Services Chairperson Alexander for moving this legislation forward, for the health and well-being of our residents.”
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Thank you, Chairman Mendelson. I would like to thank you for scheduling and holding this hearing today and for your thoughtful approach to constructing a witness list that will allow us to hear diverse perspectives on the “Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015.”
At this point, we are all aware that as introduced, Bill 21-415, “The Universal Paid Leave Act” will establish a fund that will enable workers in the District of Columbia to receive up to 16 weeks of paid leave for a major life event such as birth or adoption of a child, caring for a sick family member, or for self-care. The fund will be supported by payments from employers, the self-employed, and certain individual employees.
Since I became a Councilmember, I have been exploring ways to support our working families. In 2014, I introduced legislation that was later incorporated in the Budget Support Act that allowed for D.C. government employees to be eligible for 8 weeks paid leave. At that time, I made the promise to continue the work started on paid leave and to study how we could expand this policy to all workers in the District of Columbia.
As Chairperson of the Committee on Education, I believe that investing in our families will benefit the lives of all of our residents and our city’s children. This bill will help workers take the time they need to support their families or themselves without having to make the hard choice between a pay check and their loved one’s immediate needs. Study after study has shown that forms of paid leave are good for children, parents, and the elderly.
The long-term effects of this bill are good for our businesses. It will increase a person’s likelihood to return to work after a qualifying event, therefore decreasing the costs associated with employee turnover. It will make the District of Columbia a city where people want to work and live, and it will give all of our businesses a competitive edge for offering progressive benefits packages at a lower cost than they can now.
Prior to introduction and since, I have met or spoken directly with the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, the Hospital Association, the Restaurant Association, the Hotel Association, Georgetown University, Trinity College, small business owners, union leaders, and individuals to review all of the variables of the legislation. In these meetings, the conversations have been thoughtful, and open from all parties to find ways that we can explore to make this legislation possible for as many employees as we can and with low cost burdens to our employers.
During the drafting process, my staff and I worked to model the implications of such a robust program to provide for our families and residents. We looked at tax numbers, employee numbers, and the preliminary findings of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research which has been studying our current paid leave policies in the D.C. Government. I understand the desire of constituents and business leaders to have more sophisticated models and deeper sets of numbers, but the fact is that pulling, analyzing, and compiling this data is technical and complicated and it is not until legislation is introduced that we can set the wheels in motion for sound research.
As written, the bill has over ten variables that if adjusted would lower the cost of the bill or the burdens on employers or residents. In our conversations about the proposed legislation, I have heard many of the concerns and believe there are shifts that can be made and we are analyzing all of them closely.
As the bill moves through the hearing process at the Council, I am working closely with our Chief Financial Officer, the Council budget office, Chairman Mendelson, businesses, and advocates to fill out the details of what options we have for providing the best amount of paid family and medical leave for the maximum number of D.C residents, while ensuring that we are covering low income workers who are least likely to have access to any form of paid leave.
Today, we start the public conversation about the proposed bill and the variables that are problematic for some or are supported by others. The hearing process is one that is essential for having an open and transparent conversation, so that we can speak frankly and have our positions placed on the record. This is the beginning of an engaging process with all parties; it may take time and at times we may not agree, but I do believe that in the end, we will have a working program that our city can be proud of and D.C. can continue being a national policy leader.
It is important to note that I am not naïve and have not taken up this proposal lightly. It was not quickly drafted or without serious thought. I knew two years ago that this process would not be easy. With serious thought come reservations about the consequences – both intended and unintended – for everyone this bill will affect. Frankly, the consequences that matter the most to me are the ones primarily affecting our residents: the infants who are born prematurely, the mothers forced back to work two weeks postpartum, and the sick or injured elderly parents with little to no access to quality care.
I do not take the effects this bill will have on businesses lightly and that is why we are here today, asking you how we can be industry leaders and make systematic changes to the way we treat the people who work in the District of Columbia.
Yes, I have heard some of you say “we are moving fast and we are getting ahead of the rest of the nation on paid leave” and to that I ask: are we really moving that quickly or are we actually way behind? Why should we not lead on policies that support businesses, expand industries and also allow working families to care for themselves and their loved ones?
With that, I want to thank everyone who is here today or is submitting testimony for the record. I appreciate the time that you have all taken, regardless of your position on the bill, to study it and provide us with your feedback.
I look forward to the testimony and engaging in a robust dialogue with the witnesses.
By Martin Austermuhle, December 2, 2015, WAMU
Business groups representing just about every industry in the District — from hotels and restaurants to retailers and builders — strongly criticized a proposed paid-leave bill during a D.C. Council hearing on Wednesday, but struggled to offer alternatives or possible changes to the measure when pressed by legislators.
The groups said the bill — which would offer virtually all D.C. workers up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, with the costs covered by a per-employer tax on employers — would dramatically increase operating costs for local businesses, many of which would stop hiring or leave the city altogether.
"This bill would kill D.C. jobs," said Harry Wingo of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. "This would revive D.C.’s reputation as a high-tax, business-unfriendly place," offered Charles Miller of the Federal City Council. “At the end of the day, you can’t take leave from a job you don’t have or doesn’t exist," warned Cailey Locklair Tolle of the Maryland Retailers Association.
Others worried about the potential for abuse, criticized the lack of specifics on how much the measure could cost different businesses and organizations, and said that D.C. would be jumping far ahead of the three states that currently offer paid leave — both in how much time is given and who would pay for it.
But the consistent drumbeat of criticisms drew pointed questions from Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who pressed the groups to offer alternatives to the bill — or outline specific changes they would want seen to make the bill more agreeable.
In one particularly animated exchange, he asked Wingo a series of questions about whether the business community could support the overall concept of paid leave for workers. "Do you agree that benefits are beneficial to employees? Is it best for employers if they pay no benefits to their employees?"
Changes likely
Mendelson's questioning seemed to reflect the political reality surrounding the bill, which was introduced in October. With a majority of the Council already supporting the measure — and polling showing it has drawn wide support from residents — he said earlier this week that whether the bill passes isn't the question, but rather what would be included in a final version.
As currently written, the bill would require all private employers to contribute to a fund from which leave benefits would be paid. Workers making up to $52,000 a year would have their full salary covered, while those making more would see a declining percentage of everything above the $52,000 covered. The top pay-out would be $3,000 per week.
"This bill is for people who have to make heartbreaking choices," said Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large). She said it would help people take time to care for newborns or ailing relatives, some of whom currently have no paid leave at all.
But in moving towards that goal, Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) — who with Silverman introduced the bill — said the sweeping measure wasn't set in stone. "As written, the bill has 10 variables that would lower the costs on businesses," he said, offering critics a chance to offer changes.
And some business leaders did. Jim Dinegar of the Greater Washington Board of Trade said he would want the issue addressed at the federal level, to avoid creating a regional imbalance where one jurisdiction would offer paid leave while others didn't.
Kathy Hollinger of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington said leave should be limited to workers who have been on the job for at least one year, and asked that provisions requiring employers to notify their workers of paid-leave rights be simplified.
And Steve Hoffman, who owns a local insurance company that has operated in the city since 1906, asked that the leave be cut to eight weeks — and that it be paid for in part by the employee taking the leave. Without some changes, he worried the increased costs would force him to move — or close.
"We've always felt the need to stay and pay back a city that has given us so much," he said. "But if the [bill] passes in its present form, we will have to consider leaving the District because we compete against not only D.C. agents, but also agents across the country."
Containing costs
It was concerns like those that prompted Mendelson to ask proponents of the bill — who largely spoke in personal terms about the bill — to address the costs of implementing paid leave.
"There is a cost to this," he said to a panel of advocates for the bill. "There's no question [paid leave] would help children, families and low-income folks. It could change a whole lot of social problems we have. That's not the issue. I need you to speak to the cost."
"We have to wait until we get the actual calculations of what it would cost to provide this benefit," said Ed Lazere of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, speaking to a reality that hung over the hearing throughout the day — no final calculations on the bill's costs have been produced, nor has a study funded by the U.S. Labor Department on a number of paid-leave proposals for D.C. been finalized.
But even without those specifics in place, Lazere pushed back on the argument that it would drive businesses to close or into the surrounding states.
"After raising the minimum wage, they don't tend to lose employees, they don't tend to move. Businesses are flexible, they can respond to the added costs through a variety of means," he said.
Proponents also said that the bill could actually serve to help small businesses that can't currently afford to offer any leave, and pointed out that more and more large businesses are instituting paid-leave policies as a means to attract and retain top talent.
At one point, Silverman noted that Wingo of the Chamber of Commerce once worked for Google, which recently implemented an 18-week paid-leave policy. She also pointed out that Miller of the Federal City Council doubles as a senior attorney at Covington and Burling, a powerhouse legal firm that also offers 18 weeks of paid leave.
That raised another concern on the bill — what happens with businesses and organizations that already offer paid leave? John Cavanaugh, speaking on behalf of the Consortium of Universities, noted that the city's 10 universities were extremely concerned with how the measure would affect the leave they already offer.
"The consortium strongly supports the concept of paid leave, and has several types of paid leave in effect as evidence," he said. "The consortium opposes the unfunded mandate that will cost institutions in the District $15 million per year to implement a one-size-fits-all program that may not address the needs of our employees."
The diverse groups that could be affected by the paid-leave bill will have a chance to continue weighing in over the next few months, as Mendelson has said he will call at least two more hearings before any further action is taken on the proposal.
And despite uncertainty over what form the bill could ultimately take, Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) — who supports the measure — said that even having the debate is a positive step forward.
"I doubt the legislation will emerge in same form, but it starts the conversation," she said. "It’s a conversation that’s long overdue."
Today, Councilmember David Grosso and Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced the “School Attendance Clarification Amendment Act of 2015.” This legislation amends the District of Columbia’s compulsory school attendance laws based on lessons learned from the implementation of the South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act of 2012 and the Attendance Accountability Act of 2013. Many elements of the bill came from the work of the interagency Truancy Taskforce, which has been meeting over the past year to improve D.C.’s response to school attendance.
For Immediate Release
November 30, 2015
Contact: Darby Hickey
(202) 724-8105
Grosso to Reintroduce Legislation Increasing Power of Individuals in D.C. Elections
Washington, D.C.—At the D.C. Council’s December 1 Legislative Meeting, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) will reintroduce legislation to establish a system allowing for public financing of elections in the District of Columbia. The legislation comes after Grosso successfully advocated for the dissolution of the FreshPAC and introduced a bill to close the loophole allowing unlimited fundraising by Political Action Committees during non-election years. This legislation is the latest in a series of elections and ethics reform bills that Grosso has introduced since joining the Council in 2013, including an earlier proposal for publicly financed campaigns.
“Public financing of campaigns would give greater voice to all voters and reduce the disproportionate influence of big donors in D.C. politics,” Grosso said. “We must ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in and positively influence the political process, regardless of how much or how little they are able to contribute, or if they do not contribute at all.”
Grosso’s legislation proposes to:
- Create a new, independent office at the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to provide robust oversight of campaign finance laws and public financing of elections.
- Provide public dollar matches for campaign donations to candidates of $100 or less.
- Require candidates to meet a certain threshold of small donations from D.C. residents in order to qualify to receive public financing.
At 8:30am, Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Councilmember Grosso will join the D.C. Fair Elections Coalition for a press conference on the proposed public financing of elections bill in advance of its introduction at the Legislative Meeting. The press conference will be held in room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington D.C.
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D.C. Department of Human Services Director sent this response to Councilmember Grosso's letter outlining his long-standing concerns with the operations and conditions of the homeless shelter on New York Ave NE in Ivy City.
By Lou Chibarro, November 23, 2015, Washington Blade
More than 200 people packed the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington on Nov. 20 to commemorate the lives of transgender people who died at the hands of hate violence in the U.S. and abroad over the past year.
The event, the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, included a ceremonial reading of the names of 22 transgender women who were murdered in the U.S. in 2015 as well as several dozen trans people also murdered this year in other countries.
“The Transgender Day of Remembrance occurs annually on Nov. 20 to honor those who have been murdered because of transphobia and those who have survived gender-based violence,” a statement released by organizers of the event says.
“The overarching goal is to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community with continued hope that together we can end such violence and intolerance,” the statement says.
Transgender activist Alexa Rodriquez read the names of trans people murdered in Latin American countries while three fellow Latina trans women held a 30-foot-long banner with photos of about a dozen of the victims along with Spanish language newspaper articles reporting on the killings.
Rodriquez said many of the killings took place in Brazil and El Salvador.
Among those speaking at the event were D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large); Marvin Bowser, brother of Mayor Muriel Bowser; and Sgt. Jessica Hawkins, supervisor of the D.C. police department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, who last year became the first transgender officer to be appointed to the position.
Veteran transgender activist Earline Budd, the lead organizer of the Trans Day of Remembrance event, said she was disappointed that Mayor Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier did not attend the event. Bowser’s predecessor, Mayor Vincent Gray, and Lanier each attended and spoke at the event last year.
Marvin Bowser said Mayor Bowser, who had the event listed on her schedule one day earlier, had to cancel her appearance after feeling “exhausted” from the strain of her trip to China the previous week to promote business investment and tourism for the city.
D.C. Police spokesperson Lt. Sean Conboy said Lanier wasn’t able to attend due to a scheduling conflict. But Budd said Lanier initially told her she planned to attend.
“She had given her personal commitment to being here,” Budd told the Blade. “And we never got a notice that she was not going to be here.”
The Trans Day of Remembrance came two days after D.C. police arrested a transgender activist during a protest demonstration in the city’s Columbia Heights section in which protesters blocked traffic during evening rush hour.
The arrest of trans activist Jes Grobman on a charge of allegedly assaulting a police officer and disobeying a lawful order to stop blocking traffic was denounced by more than two dozen fellow protesters, who had assembled on the sidewalk next to the Columbia Heights Metro station at 14th and Irving Streets, N.W., to draw attention to abuse of trans people by law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped the charge of assaulting a police officer but left in place the charge of disobeying a police order. The National LGBTQ Task Force issued a statement “condemning” Grobman’s arrest, saying police could have exercised restraint in responding to the protest.
Budd said she did not think Lanier decided against attending the Trans Day of Remembrance event out of fear of being booed by the trans activists attending the event, some of whom also participated in the protest on Nov. 18.
“She would not have been booed,” said Budd. “She has the respect of the community,” Budd said, noting that Lanier was received warmly during her appearance at the event last year.
Grosso, a longtime supporter of the LGBT community, read a resolution unanimously approved by the City Council formally recognizing the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Marvin Bowser and Sheila Alexander Reid, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, presented an official proclamation from the mayor declaring Nov. 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia.
Marvin Bowser and Grosso noted that discrimination and violence targeting the D.C. trans community continues despite the fact that D.C. has in place the nation’s strongest legal protections for transgender people.
“It’s not so much because we haven’t tried, but because there needs to be a mindset change,” Grosso told the gathering. “You need to change the culture here entirely and begin to see people as human beings from day one and not this horrible stigma and these horrible prejudices that we send and let grow in our communities,” he said.
More than a dozen representatives of the local trans community, including several youths, spoke about their personal experiences of discrimination and violence.
“I’m a transgender woman,” said Kimora Green. “No matter if you’re Hispanic, black, Caucasian, no matter if you’re passable or not, we all go through the trials and tribulations of being told, ‘Oh faggot stay away from me,’ or being told ‘You’re a man,’ or being told, ‘You just need to die – kill yourself,’” she said. “I’ve been told that many a time.”
[Transgender Day of Remembrance, gay news, Washington Blade]
Kimora Green (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Green and others who told of similar experiences said they have emerged as survivors who have become stronger and more determined to fight for their rights and push for change in society’s perception of trans people.
Others who spoke and participated in the event were Ruby Corado, founder and director of Casa Ruby, the local LGBT community services center; Lourdes Ashley Hunter, the national transgender rights advocate and chief operating officer at Casa Ruby; and veteran D.C. trans activists Dee Curry, Jessica Xavier and Jeri Hughes.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign; and Lt. Cheryl Crawley, commander of the police Special Liaison Division, which oversees the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, also attended the event but did not speak.
Hawkins told the gathering she is happy to be in a position on the police force where she can work with the LGBT community in which she is a part. After listening to her fellow trans brothers and sisters recount the difficulties they sometimes face, Hawkins said she, too, has encountered such hassles.
“Even though I’m a police officer, I still get the looks,” she said. “I still get the ridicule. I still get people saying stupid things to me.”
[Transgender Day of Remembrance, gay news, Washington Blade]
Sgt. Jessica Hawkins (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
But she said the department and the chief are committed to protecting the rights of the city’s diverse population, including the trans community.
“I know there’s a lot of distrust with the police,” she said. “If you hear of a bad outcome or a bad interaction between someone that’s my brother and sister and an officer, let me know. I promise we will take care of it.”
Rev. Dwayne Johnson, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, which ministers to the LGBT community, delivered an opening prayer at the event. Rev. Abena McCray-Peters of D.C. Unity Fellowship Church, which also has a largely LGBT congregation, officiated over the reading of the names.
Curry, who received a standing ovation for the remarks she delivered at the event, told the Blade it would have a lasting impact on the community.
“I think this was one of the best Transgender Days of Remembrance since the inception of the whole program,” she said. “I think that the diversity and the unity – I can feel the spirit here and I was so overwhelmed by it.”
Councilmember Grosso sent the following letter to City Administrator Young and DHS Director Zeilinger after the latest incident outside of the men's shelter located at 1355 New York Ave NE, which resulted in a death. Grosso had previously raised concerns about this shelter with both officials. The Mayor's office responded that a response is in the works. The shelter is run by Catholic Charities under a contract with DHS, and is located on D.C.-owned land.
For Immediate Release
11/11/2015
Contact: Keenan Austin
202-285-6447
Grosso Applauds Disbandment of FreshPAC
Washington, D.C.--Today, Councilmember David Grosso applauded the announcement that Mayor Bowser's close allies will disband the FreshPAC. Earlier this year, Grosso introduced legislation to close a loophole to prohibit the PACs ability to raise unlimited dollars in non-election years. Grosso released the following statement:
"Regardless of the legality of the FreshPAC and its operations, the unchecked influence of large donors in campaigns undercuts the voices of everyday D.C. residents. Most disappointing about the PAC was the overt admission that it would be used to actively undermine the balance of power in the District of Columbia. It is important that the Mayor and the Council have a relationship based on mutual respect, strong oversight and accountability. We should strive for collegiality, but the people of the District of Columbia expect and deserve a Council that is not just a 'rubber stamp' for the Mayor.
Now that the Mayor's supporters have shut down this FreshPAC, the city can begin to move forward to restore credibility with voters by removing even the appearance of conflicts between city business and our elections process by enacting stronger campaign finance protections. I hope to work with the support of Mayor to enact legislation to close this loophole, and improve the campaign finance system for years to come."
Grosso's legislation to close the loophole is cosponsored by a majority of the Council, and continues through the legislative process. In early December, Grosso will also reintroduce a campaign finance reform bill to establish a system of publicly financed campaigns. Similar to the bill he introduced in 2013, Grosso's 2015 bill would create a small dollar matching system to give everyday residents a more equal footing in the political process with big dollar donors. "I hope that my campaign finance reform bill can move swiftly through the Council to help reform campaign donations processes in the District of Columbia to ensure our elections are fair and every voice counts," Grosso said.
By Lou Chibarro, November 3, 2015, Washington Blade
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday said she expects to support the current version of a bill pending before the City Council that would require continuing education programs for licensed healthcare professionals that include LGBT-related “cultural competency” training.
Bowser’s comment follows testimony on Oct. 29 by her director of the city’s Department of Health, Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, calling for major changes to the bill – the LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2015. LGBT advocates oppose her suggested changes.
Nesbitt told the Council’s Committee on Health and Human Services during a public hearing on the bill that she and Bowser support the general intent of the measure but believe it should be expanded to include cultural competency training “for all populations and sub-groups to whom healthcare professionals provide services.”
LGBT healthcare advocates joined more than a dozen representatives of healthcare organizations, including doctors and clinical social workers, in testifying at the hearing in favor of the version of the bill introduced in April by Council members David Grosso (I-At-Large) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7). Alexander chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.
“I expect that we’ll support the Council bill,” Bowser told the Washington Blade following a news conference on Monday. “We will probably go with how they wrote it and if there are ways to enhance it down the line that’s what we would do,” she said.
The mayor’s comment will likely generate a collective sigh of relief from LGBT activists who expressed concern that Nesbitt had been pushing for a broader bill that could decrease its effectiveness in addressing the need for cultural training on medical issues impacting LGBT people.
Grosso told the Washington Blade he has no objection to cultural competency training pertaining to other population groups. But he said adding other groups to the bill would dilute its ability to address what he and others have said is lack of understanding and cultural sensitivity by many doctors and other health care providers toward LGBT patients.
The current version of the bill would amend an existing health care licensing law to require health care professionals, including doctors and mental health practitioners, to receive two credits of instruction on LGBT subjects as part of their continuing education programs.
“Despite the District’s strong policies against discrimination, our community, which is more than 10 percent of the District’s population, remains at risk,” said Rick Rosendall, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, in his testimony before the committee.
“[R]egarding the scope of this bill: Why is it limited to LGBTQ?” Rosendall asked. “For one thing, only so much can be covered meaningfully in two credits worth of training time. More crucially, our community faces the particular challenge of invisibility,” he continued. “If we are subsumed under a generic, all-encompassing category, we are effectively excluded.”
Alison Gill, senior legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, told the committee that a 2009 nationwide survey found that more than half of LGBT respondents reported being refused needed care or being treated in a “discriminatory, disrespectful manner” by health care providers.
“Culturally competent care is especially important for LGBT people, as they continue to face substantial disparities in health, resulting from the stress of pervasive stigma; substance abuse and other health-endangering coping strategies; a reluctance to seek medical care due to fear of and actual healthcare discrimination; and the disproportionate impact of sexually transmitted disease,” Gill told the committee.
With the exception of Nesbitt, all of the nearly 20 witnesses testifying at the Council hearing expressed strong support for the bill as introduced by Alexander and Grosso. However, the executive vice president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, K. Edward Shanbacker, submitted a letter to the committee opposing the bill.
“The Medical Society believes strongly that the medical profession alone has the responsibility for setting standards and determining curricula in continuing medical education,” Shanbacker said in his letter. “In the District, the mechanism for that is the Board of Medicine, which has in the past opposed content-specific requirements surrounding continuing medical education,” he said.
Grosso said he has an answer to those, including the Medical Society, who say only doctors’ organizations and medical licensing boards should develop continuing education training on cultural competency matters.
“My answer to them is well you haven’t put this one in place and it would be important for us to put it on the books now,” he said, referring to LGBT cultural competence training.
He pointed to testimony by witnesses at last week’s Council hearing who told of LGBT patients who have been treated in a disrespectful manor and sometimes refused treatment by doctors unfamiliar with the special health needs of LGBT people, especially transgender people.
Dr. Raymond Martins, senior director of clinical education and training at D.C.’s Whitman-Walker Health, told the committee many of the mostly LGBT patients he has seen at Whitman-Walker have reported unpleasant experiences with other physicians and healthcare providers.
“Sadly, in this metropolitan area as well as throughout the country, physicians and other health providers do not receive adequate LGBT clinical and cultural competency training during medical school and their post graduate years,” he said. “This unfortunately leads to discrimination and poor health outcome for LGBT people,” Martins testified.
Grosso said he is hopeful that the bill will be finalized and brought up for a vote by the full Council before the end of the year. Eight other members of the 13-member Council signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.
For Immediate Release
November 3, 2015
Contact: Darby Hickey
(202) 724-8105
Grosso Introduces Bill to Encourage and Support Local Businesses
Washington, D.C.--Today, Councilmember David Grosso introduced the Local Business Support Amendment Act of 2015. “This bill will alleviate some government imposed burdens on our city’s businesses," Grosso said. “The Local Business Support Amendment Act makes important changes to better align the District of Columbia with neighboring jurisdictions and help our local businesses flourish.”
The bill creates a Local Business Ombudsman, in the Department of Small and Local Business Development, who will act as an independent business navigator and will work on behalf of businesses to trouble shoot and act as the point of contact during permitting, licensing and taxation process.
The bill also separates the Certificate of Occupancy from the Basic Business License process and will allow for a Basic Business License to be issued without the requirement of a Certificate of Occupancy. Currently, businesses throughout the city unnecessarily lose start-up capital waiting for the approval of their Basic Business License because they have to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy first, with no exceptions. Some businesses do not need a Certificate of Occupancy at all for their business model, but are forced to obtain one regardless.
The bill eliminates Basic Business License endorsement fee structures and allows for the transfer of a Basic Business License to a new location without any additional fees or applications. It will also allow for a registrant to apply for, and use, only one trade name for a business, and will extend the trade name issuance from two years to five years to remove the burden of costly biennial reporting.
“During my first two years in office, I became deeply familiar with the agencies that govern business operations in D.C. I have met with local businesses of all sizes throughout this city, and I have consistently heard that D.C. government regulations are not business friendly and offer few incentives for businesses to locate or expand in the city. I understand that fees serve as revenue for the city, but I believe we need to closely analyze what these seemingly small fees on businesses are worth if they are ultimately driving businesses and jobs out of the city,” said Grosso.