DC statehood still unlikely despite 80-percent approval

WASHINGTON — Eighty percent of D.C. voters approved a referendum calling for statehood, but that doesn’t make the Distract any closer to becoming the nation’s 51st state — but advocates remain hopeful.

“Even the Vice President-elect himself, Mike Pence, once made a very impassioned statement in favor of D.C.’s equality on the floor of the House,” said Paul Strauss, D.C. shadow senator. Pence was an Indiana congressman from 2001 to 2013.

“There have always been principled Republicans that support D.C. statehood,” Strauss said.

A state constitution necessary for the city to become a state now is being refined by the D.C. Council. A formal statehood proposal for congressional consideration will be submitted early next year.

“I think that we’ve done a good job in the time that we’ve spent over the last six, seven months putting together a good petition — a viable petition that puts forth the case for statehood,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mandelson said.

An amendment to the U.S. constitution to allow D.C. statehood would require approval by two-thirds of Congress and the support of three-quarters of the state legislatures.

“We need a nationwide PR plan, because we need to take our fight to the people,” said Michael Brown, D.C. shadow senator. “Taking it to Capitol Hill is not going to help us, if we don’t have the support of the American people.”