>> In case you missed this story in the Washington Post this morning, it seems another one of D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's favorite long-term projects, expanding the District's Home Rule Charter to give the District budget and legislative autonomy, is actually getting some play up on the Hill. We can't even count how many times she's introduced bills like the two currently before the House, but it's been at least 15 years since Congress... more ›

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics changed its tune yesterday and reversed an earlier decision by stating that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's school takeover plan cannot be the subject of a referendum. Once again, it comes down to the Home Rule Charter: attorneys for the election board said in papers filed yesterday that because Congress and President Bush have approved an amendment to the city's Home Rule Charter that gives the mayor direct control... more ›

Last week we told you about the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics' decision to approve D.C. resident Mary Spencer's petition to try to place Mayor Fenty's school takeover plan, which amends the District's Home Rule Charter to give the mayor direct control of the school system, on a special election ballot in August. Now an article in today's Washington Times ">quotes Spencer accusing the mayor's office of delaying filing their expected appeal, which would... more ›

Yesterday we told you about the referendum petition approved by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics regarding Mayor Adrian Fenty's school takeover legislation, which recently passed the U.S. Senate. The petition was filed by D.C. resident Mary Spencer, who is seeking to put Fenty's school plan on a special election ballot so that D.C. residents could vote on the issue directly. Today, the WaPo's David Nakamura clarifies an issue that was speculated about... more ›

Happy Friday, D.C. It's sunny out, this weekend is apparently going to be gorgeous (72 degrees!), and on Thursday, the D.C. Voting Rights Act passed the House of Representatives. In order to avoid a repeat of last time, Democrats broke the voting rights measure into two bills -- one that would add the extra seats in the house and the other a PAY-GO bill to fund them. They were both written so narrowly that Republicans... more ›

Well, it's Monday again and it seems the malaise caused by Georgetown's Saturday loss has subsided a bit. A dash of cherry blossoms and a pinch of kite festival always helps mend a broken heart. At least some Georgetown fans are finding a bit of solace in their prospects for next year. Solace came in another form at a Sunday mass for supporters and students in Atlanta when the presiding priest said, "I must admit,... more ›

If there is one thing that elected officials know, it's that they probably won't get rich while they remain in government. Well, unless they swindle the taxpayers of loads of money and jet off to a country that has no extradition treaty with the U.S., of course. But that notwithstanding, how much are certain elected officials really making? And is it enough, or is it too much? Today The Common Denominator, an independent local newspaper,... more ›

Almost two weeks ago a federal appeals court ruled that a District attempt to impose a commuter tax on the legions of out-of-towners who make their living within the city's borders was unlawful, a violation of the powers of the U.S. Congress to oversee and regulate the District's affairs. While the decision wasn't unexpected -- after all, like it or not, the District is fundamentally a Congressional colony -- it dealt another blow to the... more ›