WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Celebrating 58 Years - Vol. 58, No. 5 • November 17 - 23, 2022
D.C. Council Approves Revised Criminal Code Act
Capture the Moment
Page 45
D.C. Voter Turnout Decreases During Recent Midterm Election
Council members Differ on Increasing Penalties for Certain Gun Crimes
Apathy, Democratic Dominance Cited as Reasons
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
James Wright WI Staff Writer
The D.C. Council recently approved legislation that modernizes D.C.’s more-than-a-century old criminal code. The legislation, known as the Revised Criminal Code Act, now goes to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) for approval. The council’s unanimous vote on Tuesday culminated a process spanning 16 years and countless hours of meetings hosted by the Criminal Code Reform Commission (CCRC), along with council hearings and community meetings. In the weeks leading up to the council’s vote, Bowser
5 Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a former prosecutor, wants fair sentencing to be a top priority in the Revised Criminal Code Act for the District of Columbia. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)
described elements of the Revised Criminal Code Act as lax and a threat to public safety. She also expressed concern that residents didn’t have ample opportunity to provide feedback. Even so, council members, and particularly D.C. Coun-
District voters went to the polls on Nov. 8, voted early and utilized a mailin ballot this election cycle at a lower level than the immediate past midterm election in 2018. Political practitioners and activists are speculating about why this occurred and what can be done to stimulate local voter participation in future elections. “Voter turnout in D.C. is too low,” said Howard University political scientist Ravi Perry. “It has always been too low. I think the reason the turn out is so low has to do with the system that doesn’t incorporate us. As a result, people
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Dancing Centenarian, Virginia McLaurin, Dies at 113 James Wright WI Staff Writer
Virginia McLaurin, a former District resident who danced with President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the age of 106, died Monday, according to a statement from her family, WTOP reported. McLaurin lived to the age of 113. Born in South Carolina in 1909, McLaurin came to the District, like millions of Blacks leaving the South, to live in the North for better job and lifestyle opportunities. McLaurin received international attention when she shimmied with the Obamas in 2016 at a Black History Month reception at the White House.
VIRGINIA Page 8
TURNOUT Page 8
Authorities Warn: Human Trafficking Rises During the Holiday Season
An invisible crisis plagues victims and responders Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Federal prosecutors said the fight against human trafficking, a crime that harms some of the most vulnerable members of society, counts among their highest priorities. “We are committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking crime victims by bringing their traffickers to justice and working to ensure that survivors have access to restitution, services and assistance that are needed to rebuild their lives,” U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg offered in a statement. U.S. Department of Justice officials maintain that their strong efforts continue to combat human trafficking.
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5 In 2020, the Human Trafficking Institute reported that federal courts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories handled 579 active human trafficking prosecutions, 94% of which were sex trafficking cases and 6% forced labor cases. (Courtesy photo/Delta News Hub Flickr via Wikimedia commons)
SPELLING BEE Page 12 Celebrating 58 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.