Norton Expects Unanimous Passage of D.C. Schools Plan Today (5/22/07)

Washington, DC--Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that she expects the D.C. schools plan to be passed unanimously this evening in the Senate and to be forwarded to the President. Having just gotten one hold off the schools bill, she learned of another hold, this time by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). Norton has spoken with Senator Levin, and that hold has been removed. Senator Levin's concerns relate to the city's taxicab commission and to commitments made by several prior city administrations. Last year's D.C. appropriations bill requires the Mayor to either opt out or adopt a metered fare system "no later than 1 year after its enactment," last October. "Senator Levin has written Mayor Adrian Fenty concerning this issue, and I will advise the Mayor to call the Senator concerning the Mayor's response," Norton said. "My goal is to get the bill to the President before Congress adjourns for 10 days for the Memorial Day recess, to give the city a fair chance to make an orderly transition of jurisdiction of DCPS."