Norton Budget and Legislative Autonomy Bills Clear First Important Hurdle (6/21/07)

Norton Budget and Legislative Autonomy Bills Clear First Important Hurdle
June 21, 2007

Washington, DC-Two bills introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) to end discriminatory and unnecessary congressional review of the District's criminal, civil, and budgetary laws cleared a major hurdle today when the House D.C. oversight subcommittee passed both the District of Columbia Legislative Autonomy and Budget Autonomy Acts of 2007. These bills are second only to voting rights in importance to the city's self-government and independence. Both passed by a voice vote, but there was a dissent raised and more discussion on legislative autonomy, even though there are two standing committees that review the District's budget, which always receives the lion's share of attention from Congress. Norton has already gotten more budget autonomy for the District with two provisions: passage of the Mid-year Budget Autonomy Act no longer requiring D.C. to bring any new funds here mid-year to be a part of the federal supplemental, and under an agreement with the appropriators, allowing D.C.'s budget to be reported out on time with spending at next year's levels.

With budget autonomy, the District would be able to enact its own local budget without annual congressional oversight. Norton says that "the legislative autonomy act would eliminate the "obsolete, demeaning, and cumbersome" congressional review process that has been on the books for 33 years since passage of the Home Rule Act, but is never used by Congress." After being passed by the City Council and approved by the Mayor, D.C. civil laws must lay over for 30 legislative days for congressional review and criminal statutes for 60 legislative days, which translates into many months with no final law. At today's markup Norton expressed particular concern for the lack of finality on criminal matters, which are left unresolved for months because of Congressional recesses and the requirement of waiting only legislative days. "Only Alice in Wonderland would leave a process in place that Congress never uses and amounts to a series of make-work steps which tie in knots the city's budgetary, legislative and law enforcement operations," Norton said. "Congress has had the good sense to walk away from the arcane review procedure and pass off to the faster appropriations process for any mischief to overturn city laws. Congress must now allow the District to walk away too."

Norton expects the bills soon to be approved by the full Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Both measures are part of Norton's "Free and Equal D.C. Series" of six bills introduced to give the city control over its core functions without congressional intrusion, and to transfer provisions in the Home Rule Act to the District.