Norton Bill to Free DC from Federal Hatch Act Expected to Give City Another Victory (6/4/09)

Norton Bill to Free D.C. from Federal Hatch Act Expected to Give City Another Home Rule Victory

June 4, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) racked up another home rule victory in committee today with passage of the D.C. Hatch Act Reform Act to allow D.C. to operate under a local law rather than the Federal Hatch Act. With passage in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee this morning, the bill is on its way to the House floor. "The Federal Hatch Act jurisdiction over local law is an obsolete pre-home rule holdover," Norton said. "It is a misfit between the city and the federal government, which has no familiarity with local laws. The District is not a ward of the federal government. The city is as able as any other to pass its own local Hatch Act."

Norton (D-DC) introduced the D.C. Hatch Act Reform Act of 2009 last month as part of her "Free and Equal D.C." series of bills aimed at freeing D.C. from federal control. The "Free and Equal" series includes the D.C. House Voting Rights Act for voting rights on the House floor, the D.C. Budget Autonomy bill granting District officials authority over its locally raised revenue, and the D.C. Legislative Autonomy bill to give District officials final say-so over its local laws.

The D.C. Hatch Act reform Act becomes effective when the District passes a local Hatch Act. Norton expects easy passage in the House and the Senate.