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Today, the DC Council unanimously passed in a first vote the Fair Elections Act, creating a program where candidates for public office can opt into a publicly-funded model that puts greater focus on small-dollar contributions from DC residents and strengthens their voice in DC elections.  The bill was co-introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen and shepherded through the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, where it passed unanimously 5-0.

After, DC will wait and see if Congress tries to undermine local law

Today the DC Council passed Councilmember Charles Allen’s (Ward 6) bill enshrining all of the women’s health benefits provided under the Affordable Care Act into local law, protecting DC women from being charged extra for basic health services if the ACA is ever repealed.

As the DC Council gets set to vote on Councilmember Allen's Fair Elections Act, he penned an opinion piece in this month's issue of the Hill Rag, laying out his work to restore DC residents' trust in their local government and in the election process. The Fair Elections Act is just the latest law Councilmember Allen's leadership has helped pass at the Council working to earn back that trust by making it easier to vote, making it easier to run for public office, removing big money from our elections, and stepping up our campaign finance laws.

Read the piece here or pick up a copy around Ward 6: http://bit.ly/2m5V7qi

Program one of several laws Allen has written to modernize and open DC’s elections process

Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) celebrated today’s announcement from the DC Board of Elections launching its eSign mobile petition application. The program was created thanks Councilmember Allen’s Ballot Modernization Amendment Act of 2015. It was passed into law and funded during the FY2018 budget process.

December is always a busy month with so many great events, from tree lightings to winter celebrations to holiday markets to our very own annual Ward 6 Brickie Awards. All of them are opportunities to get together as neighbors and enjoy the people and places that make our community special. Let's jump in because there's A LOT of really great news to share. 

The “Fair Elections Amendment Act of 2017 

What is the Fair Elections Program, and Why is it Important?

• The bill establishes a voluntary public financing program for political campaigns for District of Columbia elections. It provides public dollars to candidates who pledge to forgo campaign contributions from corporations, special interests, and traditional political action committees, and instead solicit small-dollar contributions from District residents.
  
  
• Wealthy and corporate contributors have an outsized influence in the District’s elections through their ability to contribute large amounts of money to campaigns. However, wealthy and corporate contributors do not represent the District’s diversity — and they also often have different policy agendas than the average voter. Just the perception of such influence can discourage political engagement.
  
  
• The Fair Elections Program levels the playing field and amplifies the voices of District residents by increasing the influence of “small-dollar contributors” through public matching funds. Candidates can focus their time on connecting and engaging with their constituents, instead of “dialing for dollars” and attending expensive fundraisers. In order to be successful under the Fair Elections Program, candidates will need to spend more time at community meetings, in living rooms, and knocking on doors – the small-dollar contributor becomes the focus.
  
  
• The program also opens the door for non-traditional candidates, such as non-incumbents and diverse and grassroots candidates who do not have personal wealth or access to a network of wealthy contributors.
  
  
• But why should we spend taxpayer dollars on elections? The program is an investment in our democracy and in the fiscal accountability of our elected officials to taxpayers rather than to wealthy contributors and corporate interests. Taxpayers already spend millions of dollars each year on the District’s elections, including on election equipment, ballot printing, and poll workers. There are also tight controls in the bill to guard against unchecked public matching and candidates who aren’t viable, such as the threshold requirement for the number and total value of contributions to qualify and the matching funds cap. 

The 2017 Brickies were the biggest Brickies yet -- and we wanted to say thank you to all of the Ward 6 residents, Brickie honorees and our many great sponsors for making the evening so special. Enjoy some photos from the event!

WASHINGTON, DC – This evening, Ward 6 DC Councilmember Charles Allen will host the 11^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 10 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.

“This is a big night out for Ward 6 each year – neighbors enjoying food, music, and having some as we hand out bricks to recognize some of the important contributions from neighbors, organizations, and businesses,” said Councilmember Allen. “Every year, I feel lucky to recognize some great folks and this year is no exception.”

The Brickies take place from 6-8pm tonight at the new home of the Capital Yacht Club at The Wharf (800 Wharf Street, SW, Washington, DC, 20024). The event is open and free to all Ward 6 residents. Residents can RSVP at http://www.charlesallenward6.com/2017_brickies

Two Major Development Projects Announced in Ward 6

The projects propose 500+ affordable housing units and dedicated senior housing.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier today the selection of awards to development teams for two long-awaited neighborhood redevelopment projects in Ward 6.

From holiday markets to tree sales benefiting Ward 6 schools or firefighters, Ward 6 has it all. Below is a running list of holiday-themed activities and markets. Are we missing something? Email Erik Salmi (esalmi(at)dccouncil.us) and let us know.