The E-2 Sunday afternoon session “Taxation Without representation: An Overview of the D.C. Legislative Process and Research” provided a great deal of insight about D.C. governance, D.C. voting rights, and conducting legal research in D.C. Moderated by Meg Butler, the session covered the history of D.C. governance, the efforts of citizens and advocacy groups to acquire representation for D.C. residents, and tools and strategies for researching D.C. law.
Lorelie S. Masters of Jenner and Block LLP was the first speaker. As a Board Member for D.C. Vote, Ms. Masters explained current D.C. voting rights and its repercussions. She discussed how the current system denies D.C. residents their fundamental rights as U.S. citizens and explained the specific ways in which D.C. residents are not able to participate in government. She also went over the different models for securing voting rights for D.C. citizens and advocated for support of current legislative efforts. Ms. Masters’ talk was informative and persuasive, especially for those who were not previously familiar with the issues.
The next speaker was Paul Strauss, United States Shadow Senator for the District of Columbia. Shadow senators are elected but do not have voting rights in the Senate. Mr. Strauss discussed the history of D.C. governance and representation which was useful for context in which to think about current issues. He also went into depth discussing a recent D.C. voting rights bill containing an amendment which would strip the city’s ability to regulate firearms - thus forcing a choice between representation in Congress and gun control. In doing so, he highlighted the unique position in which D.C. residents are placed.
Barbara Ridley Monroe, Collection Development Librarian at Georgetown Law, was the final speaker. Ms. Monroe provided an overview of the legislative process of Council of the District of Columbia (the D.C. legislative body) and the types of legislation produced. She also went over the major publications for D.C. research, including the publications for statutes, rules and regulations, and cases. She gave strategies for using these publications online and in print and pointed out their unique characteristics. The handout she created for the session is a must for those beginning legal research in the District of Columbia.
“Taxation Without representation: An Overview of the D.C. Legislative Process and Research” provided a solid introduction to the history of D.C. governance and representation, as well as current efforts to secure D.C. voting rights. It also offered valuable guidance on conducting legal research in the District of Columbia.