As the District fights for statehood, we must expand our democracy so that it can truly work for the people. Neighbors find it hard to engage in local issues, and even when they do, they feel their voice is not heard. We must build trust by changing the system. The District must expand democracy, root out corruption, and deepen civic education by doing the following:
Expand the number of Councilmembers to distribute power and increase representation;
Expand the authority of the DC State Board of Education, including data collection and policy initiation powers;
Overhaul the District's technology infrastructure so all agencies transmit information with one another efficiently, and expand transparency by establishing a centralized information hub;
Empower Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANCs), our most local form of governing, through expanded support from the District and accessible technology;
Honor immigrant neighbors by allowing permanent residents to vote in local elections;
Empower DC youth by allowing 16 and 17 year-olds to vote in local elections;
Make it easy for our students to not only learn civics, but do civics by making an advocacy module part of our middle and high school social studies learning standards;
Make testifying at DC Council more accessible for working people, allowing residents to submit audio/video testimony, as well as establishing a system of text reminders for those testifying; and
Amend the VOICE Act (the bill for Ranked Choice Voting) to have the DC Council put it on the ballot so the public has the final say about changes to our local democracy.