During this morning's legislative meeting of the D.C. Council, Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Michael A. Brown introduced legislation -- the District of Columbia Flag Amendment Act of 2011 -- which would allow the city to fly, on Flag Day, an alternate version of the District's flag with the words "No Taxation Without Representation" emblazoned on it. more ›

Some of you came down a little hard on me for calling the driver who covered part of their D.C. license plate with a "D.C.'s Not A State, Get Over It" frame a "jerkwad." (I stand by my characterization that the kind of driver who feels the need to project his or her political sentiments on a freakin' license frame is indeed a jerkwad, regardless of the side those sentiments fall on.) But I've been slightly vindicated by the reportage of the City Paper's Michael Grass, who confirmed with the city that the license frame in question is indeed illegal. City spokeswoman Kate Stanton told Grass that "in the case of the picture, not only is “Taxation Without Representation” covered, but the state/jurisdiction “Washington, DC” is also covered. Since this is a specific plate identifier, along with the plate number, this frame would still be an illegal covering[.]" While the driver's status as a "jerkwad" can be put up for debate, the fact that the frame could earn the driver a ticket can't. more ›

At Robert Gibbs's daily White House Press Briefing just a little while ago, Washington Post reporter Michael Shear lobbed two questions at the press secretary: one about whether President Obama would keep his promise to give a speech in a Muslim nation within his first 100 days in office, and the other about whether the president would place the "Taxation Without Representation" license plates on his limousine. Gibbs's response? "I confess I don't have the slightest idea what the license plates on the limousine say now, but I can certainly check on that." He then went on to also not answer the first question, telling Shear he couldn't get into the details of those plans, other than to say that the administration is moving forward on such a speech. more ›

Via WTOP, the CBS News Political Hotsheet blog reported a quote from an Obama spokesperson that we missed last week: President Obama still hasn't decided whether he will put the District's "Taxation Without Representation" license plates on his presidential limousine, and is in fact still using the plates that President Bush used. more ›

WAMU says that he did not, opting instead to display special inauguration-themed plates on the presidential limousine, aka The Beast, during Tuesday's Inaugural Parade. As you can see in the above photo, the plates are blue, and display the numeral '1.' more ›

The Examiner's Michael Neibauer reports today that the D.C. Council is considering requiring all license plates issued by the District Department of Motor Vehicles to be the 'Taxation Without Representation' version. Currently, residents may request a license plate from the DMV that bears the city's web site url, “www.dc.gov,” instead of the voting rights slogan. more ›

WTOP has a copy of a letter the D.C. Council sent to President-Elect Obama, urging him to place the District's "Taxation Without Representation" license plates on his presidential limousine. No big shock that the Council would push for the pro-D.C. voting rights symbol, but is it somewhat surprising that both Mayor Adrian Fenty and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton have said they will not press the issue with Obama? more ›

Good morning, Washington. With the Christmas holiday looming, things are slowing down in workplaces around the region. Well, most workplaces, anyway — D.C.'s firefighters seem to be keeping plenty busy. Yesterday, of course, there was the fire at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Since then there's been a two alarm fire at the Chinatown Red Roof Inn, and this impressive gathering of firefighters just south of Logan around 6 p.m. last night. Here's hoping their holiday season calms down. More On The D.C. Quarter: The Post follows up yesterday's news with a longer article on the District's inclusion in the Treasury's state quarter program. First, the good news: the city government gets to decide on the design, and Mayor Fenty is promising that the process will involve "maximum resident input" — so it sounds like "No Taxation Without Representation" has a real shot at appearing on U.S. currency. The bad news: state flags aren't allowed in the designs, making the other half of the winning choice from yesterday's poll a no-go. Also, it turns out that we're only getting a quarter because Puerto Rico is. That stings a little, but I suppose we'll take what we can get. Maryland Gives Seventeen Year-Olds The Vote: Well, in the state's primary, anyway. WTOP reports that Maryland's Attorney General has issued an opinion that will ensure citizens can vote in the state's presidential primary on February 12, provided that they will be eighteen by the time of the general election. Both parties had requested such a measure. Briefly Noted: "Capitol Steps" creator passes away... Long-awaited "Stop Snitchin'" sequel nears release in Baltimore... Car crashes into Reston home... Surveillance photos of robbery suspects released... This Day In DCist: One year ago we chatted with Nethers and suggested some last minute gift ideas. Two years ago we checked out some new shopping options. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user Nivad more ›

And so it was -- the U.S. Senate voted today 57-42 in favor of closing debate on legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, three short of what was needed to prevent a Republican-led filibuster. The measure, which passed the House in April, is now likely dead, and another attempt to correct a 200-year injustice has been thwarted. Of course, the legislation could be re-introduced, but it won't... more ›

In just a few months, fans will finally get a glimpse of the new $611 million baseball stadium rising in Southeast. No longer will they simply be looking at an artists rendering -- they'll get to see the new concourse, the stands, the suites and the field for themselves. And today the Post's Marc Fisher poses an interesting question -- beyond the bricks and mortar, what should the team's owners offer inside the stadium? After... more ›

For all you liberal/progressive internet/Netroots types in town who are heading to Chicago later this week for the behemoth 2nd annual YearlyKos Convention — and we know there are more than just a few of you — allow us to recommend some programming. On Friday, August 3 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., the panel you'll want to make sure not to miss is Taxation Without Representation: Alive and Well in the Nation's Capital, which... more ›

Editorial published today in the New York Times, and posted here without comment: Democratizing the Nation's Capital Just in time for next month’s rockets’ red glare, a measure to give the residents of Washington D.C. their long-denied right to a full vote in the House of Representatives is making headway in the Senate. The legislation, already passed by the House, is gaining unexpected support from Senate Republicans finally struck by the injustice of the meeting... more ›

After passing the House and getting a hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last week, The D.C. Voting Rights Act moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. The committee has scheduled a full hearing on Wednesday called “Ending Taxation Without Representation: The Constitutionality of S.1257,” which will address, natch, the constitutionality of the bill. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, is a supporter of... more ›

Back in the day, people would gather to lobby, write letters and protest for a cause. These days, all it takes is access to a computer and a creative approach to using online tools. And while the fight for District voting rights has involved a good amount of old-school tactics, online activists have more resources at their disposal than ever before. Newly-elected Shadow Representative Mike Panetta has been leading this fight in recent years, employing... more ›

While it might be a little premature to assume that we're definitely going to get a vote in Congress, the news from the Hill has caused us to spend the better part of the day pondering what the newfound freedom will feel like. And in our happy world, District residents will pour into the streets, embrace and break into spontaneous dance to the tune of "Dancin' in the Street" and "We Built this City."... more ›

Watch where you step this morning, Washington! The Examiner brings us word that the D.C. Emergency Management Agency lists manhole cover explosions, like the one that brough traffic to a standstill around the National Mall last Wednesday, as one of the District’s 18 major hazards, alongside urban crime, hurricanes, terrorism and floods. See, D.C. has the second–largest underground power system in the country, which means underground fires which can cause those manholes to explode are... more ›

With all the excitement surrounding the District possibly getting a voting seat in the House of Representatives, some of the obvious logistical questions of such a momentous development have been ignored. Most importantly, our elected leaders have yet to tell us what will become of our "Taxation Without Representation" license plates, one million of which are now in circulation. After all, it won't exactly be accurate to say we're not represented, right? Fear not, D.C., for our friend Nikolas Schiller has come to the rescue. Without further delay, we present the new and updated license plate for a somewhat represented District: more ›

Just when we'd started to forget the entire rigamarole about getting the new stadium for the Nationals, we get today's Post article on the lucrative sale of its naming rights. It's not so much that we should be surprised that the stadium may be named after a corporation — it's that the District won't see a penny of the money that the chosen corporation splashes all over the publicly financed $611 million project. Reads the... more ›

Amidst tough questions in an early afternoon press conference today on the loss of the House, the war in Iraq, and the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush faced a question he wasn't expecting — on District voting rights. A reporter asked Bush on whether he would support legislation currently moving through Congress that would grant the District one voting seat in the House of Representatives and may come to... more ›

Reviewing the week in DCist can't go without mentioning what is now the news of the week -- George Mason today toppled the nation's best basketball team, UConn, 86-84 in a nail-biting overtime upset. The victory caps what has been a surprising rise through the NCAA ranks for George Mason, and with Georgetown out of the picture, gives the Washington region someone to cheer for. more ›

Well, we still don't have voting rights, but this is about as good as the news will get. According to D.C. Vote, as of March 10, some 1,033,119 D.C. license plates bearing the message "Taxation Without Representation" have been distributed to District motorists. The license plates were first introduced on November 4, 2000 at a ceremony in which D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and various council-members replaced their old plates... more ›

In a new twist on the District's fight for voting rights, the folks at Stamp Act Congress have a novel idea: stamp American tender with a pro-voting rights message as a way to publicize the plight that faces the residents of the capital of the United States. That message? "Stamp Out Taxation Without Representation in Washington, D.C." Since we love voting rights, we love the idea. But being the law-abiding citizens and residents we generally... more ›

There are a lot of creative ways to advocate for District voting rights. Of those, our friend Mike Panetta has been behind many. As you may recall, Panetta was one of the minds behind a recent online effort to allow District residents to ask Supreme Court justice nominee Samuel Alito questions, and, prior to that, to rename RFK "Taxation Without Representation Stadium." Now Panetta has hatched a new scheme to promote voting rights -- having... more ›

We here at DCist aren't much for federal politics. Yes, we live and work in the same town as countless bureaucrats and policymakers, but when it comes down to it, federal politics just isn't our bag. Well, spare the times Congress tries to jump in and rename our roads, sell our parks, or impose their will on our budgets and legislation. Or when they continually deny us our voting rights. Ok, so maybe federal politics is our bag. more ›

Voting Rights Signs Popping Up: The movement to grant District residents full voting rights became just a little more obvious in recent days. DC Vote announced on Tuesday that a 10 foot by 20 foot banner bearing the phrases "Go Nats!" and "Taxation Without Representation" was permanently affixed to the western side of RFK Stadium in recent weeks. Similarly, a 12 foot by 24 foot billboard, pictured above, was placed atop the American City... more ›

Hot off the presses, DCist has received word that the D.C. City Council will adjourn today at 12:30 p.m. to attend the introduction of the "D.C. Fairness in Representation Act of 2005," which will take place at 1 p.m. in Room 2247 of the Rayburn House Office Building. more ›

Today will be mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and highs in the upper 60s. Baby Porcupine Makes Debut at National Zoo: A baby porcupine born earlier in April has made its debut at the National Zoo. Although not born with fully developed spines, the National Zoo points out that the baby quills were sharp enough to stick into a leather glove after they had dried. See this National Zoo page for... more ›

As readers of DCist may well know, the on-going saga as what to name RFK Stadium continues, even though city officials promised on the day of the Nationals home opener that the stadium would officially be christened "Armed Forces Field at RFK Stadium." Being that the deal has not yet materialized, another name may now be in the running. In an opinion piece posted on Fox News' website yesterday, CATO Institute policy analyst, blogger, and... more ›

Just in the nick of time, Mayor Anthony Williams announced early this morning that a deal had been worked out for RFK's naming rights. While the formal announcement isn't expected until 11:30 a.m., Williams appeared on both WTOP and Fox 5 News this morning and hinted that RFK would become the "Armed Forces Field at RFK." Under the terms of deal, the military would pay $6 million over three years for recruitment kiosks and signage... more ›

Stadium Naming Deal Close to Complete: The Post reported on Saturday that a deal to sell the naming rights to RFK for the next three years may be completed before the Nats home-opener this Thursday. The possible winner? Not the dedicated democracy activists looking to tag RFK the "Taxation Without Representation Field at RFK Stadium," who to date have raised $36,549 in pledges, but rather the National Guard. The Guard, with over 300,000 members nationwide,... more ›