Norton Bills Allowing D.C. to Set CFO’s Pay and Banning Discrimination Against LGBTQ D.C. Jurors Passed by Oversight Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that the Committee on Oversight and Reform today passed her D.C. Chief Financial Officer Salary Home Rule Act, which would eliminate the cap on the pay of the D.C. Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and her D.C. Local Juror Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination against jurors in the D.C. Superior Court based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Today's passage of the CFO bill constitutes a big step toward securing the elements of statehood for D.C., including full local self-government," Norton said. "The jury non-discrimination bill will ensure that D.C. jurors are not discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and that D.C. juries are not deprived of the service of LGBTQ residents."

The D.C. CFO is paid with local funds, but the CFO's pay is capped under the D.C. Home Rule Act. The jury non-discrimination bill would clarify that "sex," which is a protected class under the non-discrimination law that applies to jurors in the Superior Court, includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Under the Home Rule Act, the D.C. Council does not have the authority to enact either of these bills. Norton's D.C. statehood bill would automatically give D.C. this authority.