Updated: March 29, 2024, at 12:02 p.m.
More than 50 current and former members of a local governing body signed a letter opposing proposed legislation sent to a D.C. Council committee last week that would restrict the power of citizen-approved initiatives.
The Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners’ letter opposes the D.C. Council’s Initiative Amendment Act, which would reject proposed ballot initiatives that would require a Council appropriation to be implemented. The letter accompanies disapproval resolutions passed by two commissions, including the Foggy Bottom and West End ANC.
ANC 1B06 Commissioner Miguel Trindade Deramo said he began circulating the letter earlier this month, which argues the amendment hampers voters’ democratic power by preventing voter-approved ballot initiatives.
“I was completely floored to see this bill, which is attempting to severely limit the range of initiatives that can be proposed,” Trindade Deramo said. “I think they’ve misidentified the problem, and I think they’re trying to solve their misidentified problem in a very blunt and poorly considered way.”
Trindade Deramo said he submitted the letter to the D.C. Council last week, but he has yet to receive any response.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember-at-Large Anita Bonds introduced the amendment in November. Trindade Deramo said the Council’s mark-up session, scheduled for March 15, was postponed last minute.
He said his ANC will consider a resolution opposing the act in their next meeting. The Foggy Bottom and West End ANC unanimously passed a resolution opposing the act in their meeting last week.
Two members of the Foggy Bottom ANC, Commissioners Yannik Omictin and Trupti Patel, who introduced the Foggy Bottom ANC’s disapproval resolution, signed the letter. Omictin said the citizen-led initiatives the amendment addresses are an “essential feature” of democracy.
“I hope the Council completely strikes it down,” Omictin said. “And I hope that they listen to ANC commissioners and the vast majority of D.C. residents that know that this would be horrible for the city.”
This post was updated to correct the following:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that the bill would require proposed ballot initiatives to undergo appropriations prior to being enacted, and had already gone to the D.C. Council. It would reject ballot initiatives that require a Council appropriation in order to be implemented and is being considered in committee. The Hatchet also misspelled Trindade Deramo’s name. We regret these errors.
