Today, Councilmember Robert White introduced a bill to make housing in the District more affordable across the entire city. The Generating Affordability in Neighborhoods (GAIN) Act of 2021 allows the District to pay housing providers to convert existing rental units into affordable units using covenants on the property.
The bill comes a month after the January 6 insurrection and the minimal law enforcement presence
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Councilmember Robert White, today, recommended provisions to include in the Budget Support Act to create an all civilian police complaint board for the Metro Transit Police. White said, “Every police department should have a civilian review board to examine police complaints. It makes police departments better and builds trust with the people they serve.”
Today, Councilmember Robert White, along with 10 of his Council colleagues, sent a letter to Mayor Bowser expressing concern with elevated lead levels in District of Columbia public playgrounds. The Councilmembers have asked the Mayor to accelerate the final report on lead testing results, ensure that the report is released publicly, ensure that Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) playgrounds are also tested, and develop a solution that ensures the District is using the safest and most durable materials for playgrounds.
Councilmember Robert White today said that oversight, transparency, and diversity on the WMATA board are needed in order to improve the relationship between Metro Transit Police and communities of color. White, Chair of the Committee on Facilities and Procurement, which has oversight over WMATA, and Councilmember Charles Allen, Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, held a joint hearing on Tuesday, November 12 th on how the Metro Transit Police Department’s (MTPD) policing practices impact communities of color. Councilmember White called for this oversight hearing following a June 22 nd incident where MTPD officers allegedly handcuffed and pinned down a 13-year-old DC student and tased a graduate student who attempted to intervene.
In this week’s legislative session, the DC Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Finance and Revenue and to place the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) under the Committee on Facilities and Procurement, which I chair. With this reorganization, my committee will have an opportunity to continue performing strong oversight and maintaining our focus on safety, accountability, transparency, efficiency, and equity for District residents.
This is an urgent matter to both improve public safety and protect the rights of our children
The recent spate of attacks against LGBTQ members of our community is part of a pattern of violence in our city and around the country, and it has to stop. We cannot and will not tolerate hate crimes such as these in the District of Columbia. No one should endure the terror of being targeted and attacked for being who they are. I want my LGBTQ neighbors to know that I see you, I hear you, I support you, and I am deeply troubled and disturbed by these attacks.