Photo by wallyg

The D.C. Council met today for its monthly legislative session, and other than the awkward fawning over Bryce Harper, here’s what you missed:

Sex Crimes Statutory Limitations: Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced legislation that would remove existing statutory limitations for charging 24 of the most severe sex crimes. Some of the crimes—including rape and sex trafficking—currently impose 10- or 15-year time limits, after which they can’t be prosecuted. According to Cheh, though, D.C. should join Maryland and Virginia in getting rid of those limitations. The Examiner had more details this morning.

Neighborhood Charter Schools: Charter schools are open to any student who wants to apply, but some parents have argued that they’ve been shut out of excellent charter schools in their own neighborhoods because the application process can be so competitive. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) wants that to change, and today introduced a bill that would allow new charter schools to offer preferences in admissions to students living in the neighborhood where the school is located. Last year a commission found rejected an proposal that neighborhood preference be mandated, and Grosso’s bill would merely provide those schools with an option.

ANC Review of Large Developments: If you’re a developer that wants to construct a large residential building in an area where city regulations and the zoning code allow it, you’re pretty much free to start work. But now Cheh wants ANCs and civic associations to have a say, so she introduced a bill that would allow them 120 days to chime in on residential-only projects larger than 150,000 square feet. (The City Paper had the broad outlines last week.) You could consider it mere coincidence that the bill’s introduction is nicely timed to coincide with a controversy in her ward over a 263-apartment building on Connecticut Avenue that a developer is planning on building and that some residents have (loudly) tried to stop. Depending on where you stand, Cheh’s bill is either an awesome way to encourage citizen input or an awesome way to bog developers down in citizen complaints.

Brewery and Distillery Tastings: Under current law, D.C.-based breweries and distilleries can offer tastings to the public from Thursday through Saturday. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), who has both in his ward, now wants to add Sunday to that list. As of January, liquor stores have been able to sell their wares on Sunday.

Electronic Cigarettes: Electronic cigarettes are personal vaporizers that turn a nicotine solution into an aerosol that is inhaled for much the same effect as a cigarette, minus the gross smoke. But Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) wants to make sure that e-cigarettes are regulated in much the same way as their traditional counterparts, and today introduced a bill that would do as much.