Key Ways To Pressure the D.C. Council This Budget Season

Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget makes cuts to important social service programs and public health resources while adding $18.5 million to the DC police department which already has a budget of over half a billion dollars. The budget is now in the hands of the D.C. Council and they need to hear from you!

KEY WAYS TO PRESSURE THE D.C. COUNCIL THIS BUDGET SEASON

Submit testimony to the Committee on the Judiciary by Tuesday June 16 asking the Council to divest from DC police and reallocate funds to public health priorities like community-based violence interruption and trauma services, school-based mental health counselors, reentry services, and housing.

  • Email written testimony to [email protected]. Indicate that your email is testimony in the subject line.
  • Leave voicemail testimony at 202-350-1362. Follow the instructions on the recording.
  • To provide video testimony, upload a 3-minute or less long video to the Committee's Dropbox folder using a mobile or desktop device by following the instructions here.
  • To provide live public testimony during the hearing on the D.C. police on Monday, June 15th from Noon to 6:00pm, email [email protected], and provide your name, phone number, organizational affiliation, and title (if any), by close of business June 11. Registrations will be processed first come, first served; the Committee will confirm via email whether you have been admitted and will provide additional instructions.

    All testimony received will be made part of the official record, uploaded on the Council’s and Council Budget Office’s website. The hearing record will close June16, 2020.

Submit testimony to the Committee on Education by Tuesday, June 9 asking the Council and DC Public Schools (DCPS) to end school contracts with DC police and invest those millions into school-based mental health and other critical supports for DC students.

  • Email written testimony to [email protected]. Indicate that your email is testimony in the subject line.
  • Leave voicemaill testimony at (202) 430‐5720. Follow the instructions on the recording.

All testimony received will be made part of the official record.

Provide testimony to the Committee of the Whole and tell Councilmembers to divest funds from DC police, enact strong police accountability reforms, and invest in violence interruption, trauma services, reentry programs, school supports, healthcare, affordable housing, and living-wage jobs.

There are two Committee of the Whole hearings on the Mayor’s overall budget that are open to live public testimony on:
Wednesday, June 17, 2020, Noon – 6:00pm
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 9:00am – 6:00pm

  • To testify live in person on June 17 or June 18, email [email protected] by close of business on Monday, June 15, 2020. Include your preferred call‐in day, name, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if applicable)
  • To provide written testimony, email [email protected] by Tuesday, June 16, 2020.
  • To leave voicemail testimony, call 202-430‐6948 by Tuesday, June 16, 2020.

All testimony received will be made part of the official record. The hearing record will close at 5:00 p.m. on June 26, 2020.

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