In another example of the indignities heaped upon the District by a Congress unwilling to entertain pleas to grant D.C. residents full franchise, city officials have long been forbidden from using taxpayer funds to lobby for voting rights or statehood. That may soon change.

We’ve received word that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) has introduced an amendment to the District’s appropriations bill which would finally allow District officials to lobby Congress for voting rights. In a press release issued yesterday, Rohrabacher stated:

There is only one place in the world where U.S. citizens have to pay taxes to the federal government but are not represented in Congress. And that’s Washington, D.C. It’s wrong to tell the D.C. government that fixing this injustice is one of the very few things they can’t talk to Congress about.

Since the ban was imposed, District officials have only been able to offer grants to voting rights organizations for work on education campaigns. In early April, for example, D.C. Vote was given a $500,000 grant to help raise public awareness and educate the American public about the District’s status — but not lobby Congress directly. With this amendment, that would no longer be the case.

As with all things voting rights, we’re crossing our fingers. Maybe the voting rights momentum is enough to help push this measure through. Then again, maybe it’s not. We’re hoping for the former.