D.C. voting rights bill to come in about 'two weeks,' delegate says

[kpete]

Source: The Hill


D.C. voting rights bill to come in about 'two weeks,' delegate says
By Tony Romm - 03/27/10 02:39 PM ET

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said Friday that a bill to grant Washington D.C its first House seat is about two weeks away.

While she ultimately declined to say "what the bill looks like now," she told WTOP radio that area residents would "find out very soon" -- later noting that "soon" meant about two weeks.

"I will carry a bill to the floor that I think can pass the House and the Senate." Norton added, later criticizing D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty for not working closely with her on granting the District its first federal representative.

Nevertheless, Norton's forthcoming effort is hardly the first time the 111th Congress has taken up the politically contentious issue of D.C. voting rights.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/89471-dc-voting-rights-bill-to-come-in-about-two-weeks-delegate-says

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Of course the Republicans will do their best to block it

It would be nice to have another safe Democratic seat.

[harkadog]

4. The Bill will have a provision for Utah to get another seat.

So the Republicans will get a safe seat also.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. That would depend on how the lines were drawn

Currently, Utah has three seats and one of them is held by a Democrat.

But of course the Republicans would be careful about drawing the new lines, and it would be the states Republicans doing the drawing.

Actually, Utah is expected to gain another seat in any case as a result of the 2010 census.

[Hawkeye-X]

7. The state Rethuglicans will discover they will not only lose one but TWO districts

because they're all fucking morons.

Hawkeye-X

[DavidDvorkin]

11. If no morons were allowed in Congress

this would be a very different and much better country! :)

[struggle4progress]

12. The small remnant in Congress would be unconscionably overworked

[Hawkeye-X]

6. I'd love to see our liberal Senate filibuster the Utah provision

and tell them it's DC seats and NO Utah seats.

Take the district away from Utah and give it to DC.

Hawkeye-X

[Angleae]

8. So basically Utah gets another perm seat while DC gets a temp one.

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States".

Last I looked, DC wasn't a state.

[harkadog]

10. Yes that's the constitutional issue.

It most certainly will be challenged in the courts if it ever gets passed.

[tinrobot]

2. I'd love to see two senators as well.

Two Democratic senators.

Of course, that'll never happen.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. That would be great.

[liberalpragmatist]

9. I wish the DC leadership would try another statehood push

... although that probably won't be realistic until (and unless) the filibuster is undone, as there is no way any Republicans will support it since DC would automatically produce 2 Democratic senators.

[Cha]

13. Good luck to DC residents and Gale Holmes

Norton!