Updates from today’s Legislative Meeting:
• The Council unanimously approved CM Allen’s bill to ban surprise common area utility fees, helping ensure renters know the true cost of housing before signing a lease. Because the rent should be the rent.
• The Council gave initial approval to proposed changes to the Open Meetings Act that will allow the Council to meet in closed sessions. While there are times that this is necessary, Councilmember Allen believes that government should still be accountable to its residents. That's why he successfully moved an amendment to require a public record of a closed-door meeting with the date, time, and topic of the meeting to be posted after the closed meeting occurs.
Charles Allen
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Ward 6 Member of the DC Council. Focused on great schools & neighborhoods we can all call home.
06/02/2026
This morning, I stood with members of the DC Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 36, who put their lives — their bodies, souls, and minds — on the line every day for District residents, workers, and visitors. They deserve fair pay for that sacrifice and the ability to afford to live in the city they serve. This budget must meet that obligation, and I’ll keep fighting until it does.
That nickel bag fee at the grocery store is supposed to help clean up the Anacostia River — not disappear into the city’s utility bills.
When the proposed budget swept away funding for the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund, the Committee on Transportation & the Environment restored it. The committee also restored funding for City Wildlife, which rehabilitates injured wild animals and returns them to their natural habitat.
These are common-sense investments that make DC cleaner, healthier, and more resilient. Hear from CM Allen. 👇
The DC Council holds three meetings on Tuesday, June 2:
• Breakfast Meeting — scheduled for 9 a.m.
• Committee of the Whole Meeting — scheduled for 11 a.m.
• Legislative Meeting — immediately following COW
Here's how to tune in to all three:
How to Watch Our June 2 Meetings • Council of the District of Columbia Members of the public are invited to virtually join the three meetings the Council will be holding on Tuesday, June 2. The first meeting is a pre-Legislative Meeting Breakfast Meeting, […]
What does this budget mean if you ride Metro Forward?
It means protecting Kids Ride Free, increasing transit support for adult learners, restoring bus service where riders have been left behind, and fully funding Metro.
Reliable, affordable transit is one of the best investments we can make in DC. Here’s what the Committee on Transportation and the Environment included in its budget recommendations and why it matters.
05/28/2026
Had a great conversation and tour with the team at Community Connections, which sits on the north end of Barracks Row and provides behavioral health, supportive housing, homeless outreach, and integrated health care for marginalized neighbors. You may see them in the Eastern Market Metro Park working with neighbors who need assistance, thanks to our grant to activate the space!
05/27/2026
It’s been a long day but we’re still at it this evening. As the Council draws closer to a budget vote, today has been an all-day work session to review each committee’s recommendations of how to reverse the damaging proposed cuts, savings found within agencies, and ultimately, how to rewrite a fair budget for DC that puts our residents and city growth first. Might need more coffee though! ☕️
The Sustainable Energy Trust Fund is one of the important tools DC has that can help residents lower their utility bills for the long haul, paid for by a small monthly fee on your bill. But the Mayor keeps sweeping most of it to pay the city's power bills.
In the first of several videos breaking down what the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment changed in the budget, I talk about the SETF/the DC Sustainable Energy Utility and why it's a central priority out of this committee ahead of the first vote on June 9.
05/27/2026
I joined ANC 6/8F this evening to provide an update on the budget, talk public safety, and answer questions big and small from the commissioners. Thank you to the commission for having me - I always appreciate the opportunity to talk through issues and hear concerns directly.
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