Mayor Bowser and Councilmember Pinto, the chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, introduced numerous pieces of legislation that harken back to the 1994 federal crime bill and are deeply rooted in punishment and mass incarceration.
On Feb 6th, the DC Council voted in support of the Secure DC Omnibus or the “crimnibus” bill at its first reading. This is an underhanded tactic to push all the harmful provisions through the Council at once while avoiding any additional hearings that are open to input from the general public
However, we made progress on several provisions, three of which passed as amendments! 🎉
Pretrial amendment passed ✅ DNA amendment passed ✅ Expungement and record sealing passed ✅
And we have to keep pushing! The second and final vote is on March 5th. Let's make our voices heard loud and clear, continue to call and email DC Councilmembers. Join us in the fight against these harmful provisions. And tell them, "Don't Throw DC Under The Crimnibus!"
Things to keep in mind:
-The time is estimated, be prepared to wait for the meeting to begin
-There is limited seating some folks will have to sit in the overflow
-No smoking/vaping inside the Wilson Building
-Reach out if you want to be a volunteer and have a role for vote day
On March 5th, we will pack the meeting AGAIN and we need you. Will you pledge to meet us at the Wilson Building?