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Dear resident,

Today is the first day of in-person, early voting in DC! I was at Sherwood Rec near my home in Ward 6 when polls opened at 8:30 a.m., and though there was a line, it moved quite efficiently! Two reminders: You can vote at any early voting center across the city; the list of sites is here. And for our seniors and residents with a disability, curbside voting (which allows you to vote outside on a hand-held computer) is available!

We face many challenging decisions in the upcoming days and months, both as individuals and as a city. First, I know many of you, like me, are wrestling with how to celebrate upcoming holidays safely and responsibly. I want you to be aware of guidance DC Health has issued both for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Here’s what we are seeing through contact tracing interviews: COVID+ residents report with some frequency attending small group gatherings with family and friends prior to testing positive. I usually host Thanksgiving and love that my Maryland and Virginia family have a tradition of gathering at my home, but it’s not happening this year. DC Health considers that high-risk, and I am heeding that warning.

On Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 10:00am, the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hold an additional meeting to consider and vote on the following measures:

• B23-309, “Medical Marijuana Program Patient Employment Protection Amendment Act of 2020”
• B23-500, “Unemployment Compensation Employer Classification Amendment Act of 2020”

The official hearing materials include:

• Agenda
• Draft Committee Print, B23-309 Medical Marijuana Program
• Committee Report, B23-309 Medical Marijuana Program
• Draft Committee Print, B23-500 Unemployment Compensation
• Committee Report, B23-500 Unemployment Compensation

The hearing can be viewed live via https://dccouncil.us or on DC Cable Channel 13.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2020 – Today, the D.C. Council unanimously passed emergency legislation introduced by Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large) to extend unemployment compensation by seven additional weeks for all eligible claimants.

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Dear resident,

Election Month is here, and we are 20 days from Election Day! Let’s vote!

If you are registered to vote in DC, you should have received your ballot at the address listed with the Board of Elections. If you have not received your ballot, first check here to make sure you are properly registered and the Board has the correct address for you. If you have not gotten a ballot by the end of the week, you should call the Board at (202) 727-2525 to request another one. If you are not yet registered in DC, it is too late now to vote by mail. You can still vote in person with same-day registration. Early Vote Centers open on October 27 and 95 vote centers will be open on Election Day, November 3. More details on voting are below.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 9, 2020 – Today, the D.C. Council’s Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, chaired by Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large), released a letter following up on the top concerns raised by claimants and Councilmembers at the Committee’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) oversight hearings.

On October 26, 2020 at 10:00am, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large), Chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, will host a Public Oversight Roundtable on Unemployment Insurance Programs in the District During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Public witnesses are welcome to sign up, and may use their phone or computer to participate in this virtual roundtable. The hearing will be available for live viewing on DC Cable Channel 13 and online at www.dccouncil.us.

Click here for the Official Hearing Notice and here for the final agenda and witness list. 

This UI Roundtable will focus on three topics: 

1. DC’s short-time compensation (or “shared work”) program.
2. Seamlessly transitioning claimants to additional weeks of benefits through PEUC and EB.
3. Clearing the PUA claims and payment backlog.

If you are unable to testify at the roundtable, written and voicemail statements will be accepted as part of the official record until Monday, November 9, 2020. Additional details on testifying below.

On Thursday, November 19 at 10:30am (note: this time has been changed from the previous start time of 10:00am) Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large), Chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will host a public hearing before the Committee on B23-0436 First Source Community Accountability Amendment Act of 2019 and B23-0570 First Source Resident Employment Amendment Act of 2019.  

• Official Hearing Notice
• Summary: First Source Resident Employment Amendment Act of 2019
• Summary: First Source Community Accountability Amendment Act of 2019

Bill 23-436 would make updates and reforms to the First Source law, to provide the public with more information on projects and outcomes. Bill 23-570 would make improvements to the First Source law to increase the number of qualified District residents working on First Source projects, particularly for higher-skill jobs; improve the Department of Employment Services’ assistance to First Source contractors; and remove bureaucratic reporting requirements for contractors.

The hearing will be available for live viewing on DC Cable Channel 13 and online at www.dccouncil.us.

Those who wish to testify live must sign up using this form no later than 5:00pm on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. Additional details below. 

On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large) moved The Eviction Notice Moratorium Emergency Act and the Eviction Notice Moratorium Temporary Act to keep more residents housed safely during the pandemic by eliminating unnecessary moves of fear or moves of misunderstanding caused by receiving a Notice to Vacate.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large), Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a Public Oversight Hearing on on the District’s unemployment compensation program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hearing aired on the DC Council's Live Stream channel and TV Channel 13. The official hearing announcement can be found here.

The government witness portion of the hearing with the Department of Employment Services (DOES) was reschedule for September 30 at 3:00pm. The hearing can be viewed on the DC Council's Live Stream channel and on TV Channel 13.

DC workers and others interested in submitting their thoughts or official testimony for the record can do so in two ways:

1. Written and voicemail statements submitted by email to [email protected] or by calling 202-455-0153.
2. Filling our our new online survey. You can choose to submit your survey responses as official testimony, or just use the survey to provide feedback to the Committee and Councilmember Silverman to inform and improve their work with the Department of Employment Services (DOES).

The deadline for survey responses and formal testimony submission is October 7, 2020.

The hearing agenda, list of witnesses, and testimonies can be found here and below.