Newsroom

Below is a transcript of the prepared remarks delivered by Councilmember Charles Allen on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 after he took the oath of office to begin his second term as Ward 6 Councilmember:

The other week, at the end of a day-long legislative meeting wrapping up much of the year-end business of the Council, I was riding the bus home, a little wiped out but at the same time feeling incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to work on behalf of our community. Throughout that day at the Council, we worked on huge topics including campaign finance reform, establishing a new hospital in the Eastern part of our city, and passing some of the most ambitious environmental legislation in the nation.

We're rushing headlong toward the end of the year -- it's hard to believe 2019 is almost here! We've lit trees and menorahs, shopped at local businesses, put on our helmets to decorate the tree, and more. If you feel like you haven't gotten your share of local holiday cheer, there's still time to dive in with these holiday markets! But for now, we've packed A LOT into the final weeks of 2018 as the Council nears the end of its current session. Let's catch up on the latest:

Today, the Committee of the Whole will hold a public hearing to consider a bill introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen that would require District movie theaters to provide open captioning on a set number of screenings.

This evening, Ward 6 DC Councilmember Charles Allen will host the 12^th Annual Ward 6 Brickie Awards and community celebration. The awards are an annual celebration of the people, places, and organizations that make the Ward 6 community great. Begun 11 years ago by then-Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells as the Livable Walkable Awards with engraved bricks as a special honor, the event was nicknamed “The Brickies” by the local newspaper Hill Rag.

The holidays are here (hooray!) - here's a list of free events, holiday markets, and places in Ward 6 to get your tree and decorations.

Tomorrow, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety will consider Committee Chairperson Charles Allen’s Firearms Control Omnibus Amendment Act, which would strengthen DC’s gun laws by banning bump stocks and making the penalty more severe for high-capacity magazine clips.

It's almost Thanksgiving! I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by, but maybe that's just me stressing over how much needs to get done by the end of the year. As I've mentioned before, we're nearing the end of the two-year council period, which means all legislation needs to be passed on two votes by the end of December or the process starts over in January. This tends to be a pretty busy time of year, and my team and I have been working hard to move some important pieces of legislation ahead of the end of the council period. Updates on those bills, and plenty of happenings in Ward 6, to discuss - so let's get to it!

Today, the DC Council voted 11-0 to pass Councilmember Charles Allen’s omnibus campaign finance bill proposing sweeping changes to the District’s campaign finance laws, focusing particularly on restricting political contributions by individuals who regularly compete for contracts with the District government, as well as strengthening the enforcement of those laws.

On Tuesday, November 13 Councilmember Allen introduced the Vision Zero Enhancement Amendment Act of 2018, proposing to codify in law traffic safety measures proposed by the Mayor, including banning right on red turns near schools, lowering the speed limit in residential zones, and more.