Dear Neighbors, This week I talk about the importance of defending DC self governance, share a glimpse into our oversight work with DGS, provide community safety updates, highlight helpful government services and community resources, and round up some upcoming events in Ward 4. Standing Up for DC Home Rule This week the President of the United States and many Senators turned their backs on DC residents and our fundamental right to self determination by backing a resolution to overturn a local District law for the first time in more than three decades. This is the latest chapter in a long,

Today the President of the United States and many Senate Democrats turned their backs on DC residents and our fundamental right to self determination.  This is the latest chapter in a long, dark history of Congress forcing its will on the people of DC. It harkens back to when Congressmen openly opined that DC’s Black leaders were incapable of self governance. Instead of burying that racist legacy, Congress and the President seek to resurrect it.  This country was founded on the principles of self governance and democratic representation that have always been denied to us. As DC residents, we have

Dear Neighbors, We’ve had a week full of oversight work, new legislation, and being in community. First, I’m excited to share that I am co-hosting a Ward 4 Youth Career Building Workshop this coming Monday, February 27 from 10am-2pm at Emery Heights. Please make sure the young people in your life (ages 17-24) who want support building a career know about the event! We are keeping the focus on youth this week, with big updates on recreation opportunities in this newsletter and a Council roundtable happening this Saturday at noon at the RISE Demonstration Center to hear directly from young people about the issues that

I hope you’ve had a good week. Thank you to everyone who joined our Ward 4 Budget Forum on Wednesday, or any of our other Listen As We Climb events. Through these listening sessions, my team and I have heard from more than two hundred neighbors, and your ideas and priorities are already shaping our work this year on the Council and in our community. This week has been full of performance oversight hearings, where I engaged agencies on the issues that impact our community, including improved government services from DPW, filling critical vacancies in DC government, truly affordable housing, more

WASHINGTON, DC — Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George introduced three bills to address important loopholes in the District’s minimum wage and paid family leave laws. These loopholes are systematically denying hard-working residents in the District the full pay and benefits they are entitled to for their labor. All three bills are being co-introduced by a majority of Members of the DC Council. “DC’s minimum wage and paid family leave laws offer critical protections for working families, but some companies exploit loopholes to systematically deny workers the wages or benefits they deserve,” said Councilmember Janeese Lewis George. “These bills will

Dear Neighbors, My weekly newsletter includes an important opportunity to share your DC budget priorities with me and my team, updates from our oversight work and Council legislative meeting, Ward 4 news, community resources, local news, and quite a few community events. Check it all out! Ward 4 and Council News Ward 4 Budget Forum and Virtual Listening Session We have rescheduled our final Listen As We Climb virtual listening session that was originally scheduled for February 2 to Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm by Zoom. The event will also jointly serve as our Ward 4 budget forum. Neighbors can register on Zoom to join us

Dear Neighbors, Here is my Friday newsletter with important updates, resources, and events for our community. Ward 4 and Council News Centering Equity in a New Ward 4 Library On Wednesday, we held our performance oversight hearing with DC Public Library. Ward 4 loves its libraries, and we are grateful for our brand new Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library, the DCPL Library on the Go-Go mobile unit that is active in our community, and $1.5 million in upgrades to Petworth Library coming in 2024. But we also have a major library service gap in Brightwood Park and Manor Park that DCPL itself

The historic Northern Bus Barn garage has served as a public transit hub for our community in Sixteenth Street Heights for more than a century. Operating first as a storage and maintenance facility for electric streetcars, Northern then transitioned to serving DC’s growing bus network and came under Metro’s ownership in 1966. The bus garage quickly became a critical part of our transit system by housing MetroBuses close to key bus corridors like 16th Street, 14th Street, and Georgia Avenue. As a child, I remember getting off the bus on 14th Street and greeting MetroBus drivers who were enjoying their

Dear Neighbors, I’m writing first to share an exciting update about Northern Bus Barn that was announced this week! I also want to make sure you know about some key Council hearings where you can participate next week; remind you about upcoming deadlines for health care enrollment and the DC School Lottery (Grades 9-12); update you on MetroRail service, OSSE bus delays, and leaf collection; highlight local news you may have missed, and share several community events. Northern Bus Barn to Open with All Electric Buses! The historic Northern Bus Barn garage has served as a public transit hub for

Dear Neighbors, My newsletter this week shares many ways neighbors can make their voice heard: performance oversight hearings, community listening sessions in Ward 4, the opportunity to run for ANC in Brightwood, and several important surveys. I also update our community on the District’s criminal code revision, two great Ward 4 businesses, neighborhood events, public meetings, government services, and community resources. I hope you find this useful! Make Your Voice Heard at a Performance Oversight Hearing Strong civic engagement is essential for a healthy democracy. In a few days, the Council will begin its performance oversight hearings for each DC