D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is criticizing five council members by name, accusing them of blocking emergency curfew legislation that would have bridged a gap between when her emergency order ends this weekend and when a new permanent law takes effect July 16.
In a letter to Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Tuesday, Bowser described the lack of action as disappointing, blaming five members, whom she said, prevented the legislation from moving forward.
“I am greatly disappointed that five members of Council are essentially obstructing the Council from moving forward on this important public safety legislation. Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George, Trayon White, Robert White, Brianne Nadeau, and Zachary Parker have refused to let the emergency declaration pass despite the majority of members supporting the permanent and emergency versions of this bill,” the letter reads.
For the legislation to get a vote, it needed nine votes, which Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said the council doesn’t have.
“Ordinarily, it’s been the tradition of this council that when the majority decides, (the) minority doesn’t impede that decision, which is what has happened,” Mendelson said.
The proposal would have allowed police to impose temporary early curfews in specific areas to respond to so-called teen takeovers.
Those named in the mayor’s letter pushed back on the criticism.
At-Large Councilmember Robert White called the mayor’s letter “irresponsible politics.”
“I was one of maybe all members who supported a temporary curfew a year ago and we said to the mayor, ‘You’ve got to put together a full plan.’ She didn’t do it, and now she wants to blame the council. It’s ridiculous. It’s irresponsible,” White said.
Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said she has been consistent in her position on the issue, voting against the permanent law and the emergency legislation.
“I stand by my belief that the curfew policy is a failed policy, it’s kind of smoke and mirrors and what we really need is investments in our young people,” Nadeau said. “I’m pretty firm on that.”
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said the disagreement is about how to address the issue.
“We disagree that expanding the curfew in this very precarious time in our city, when we know federal troops and federal agencies are enforcing the law, puts young people at risk,” Lewis George said.
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker also criticized the mayor’s letter.
“It’s unfortunate. It strikes me as political gamesmanship,” Parker said.
The mayor said her administration will still use the authority it has to keep people safe as that gap approaches.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who supported the legislation, said she had hoped the council would approve the emergency measure to avoid a gap in enforcement.
“As you know, the council did pass the permanent version of the juvenile curfew emergency. But because we’re not a state yet, Congress is still reviewing our legislation,” Pinto said. “By the time they review it and approve it, it will be July. So my hope was to move the emergency, so we don’t have a gap. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the votes.”
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said who said he was also ready to vote for the emergency the issue has already been debated and suggested politics may be driving the renewed attention.
“We have had this debate maybe a month or so ago. … There’s an election coming up, so maybe that’s why we just keep seeing this kind of brought back up over and over again,” Allen said.
The mayor’s executive order allowing the use of temporary curfew zones by police ends Saturday.
She said her administration will continue to take necessary steps under existing law to keep residents safe.
Under the permanent law, curfew hours beginning in July will run from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends from September through June and from midnight to 6 a.m. daily in July and August.
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