Councilmember McDuffie Releases Committee on Business and Economic Development FY22 Budget Report

Councilmember McDuffie Releases Committee on Business and Economic Development FY22 Budget Report

Prioritizes addressing the District’s racial wealth gap, tackling systemic barriers to access capital and supporting workers & small businesses most impacted by the pandemic For Release: Thursday, July 1, 2021 Contact: Malcom Fox, 202-227-1701, mfox@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, the Committee on Business and Economic Development released its FY22 Budget report. Chairman Kenyan McDuffie prioritized funding programs that would reduce the District’s stark racial wealth gap, address gaps in access to capital for socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs and provide financial relief for workers and small businesses in industries that have been the most impacted by this pandemic. “The Committee’s budget dollars…
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McDuffie Applauds Funding for Crummell in Mayor’s Proposed Budget, Vows to Continue Fighting for Unfunded Priorities

McDuffie Applauds Funding for Crummell in Mayor’s Proposed Budget, Vows to Continue Fighting for Unfunded Priorities

“The budget must make transformational investments that enable all residents to access economic opportunity, reliable housing and safe communities.” For Release: Thursday, May 27, 2021 Contact: Malcom Fox, 202-227-1701, mfox@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, the Mayor released her FY22 budget, which invests in affordable housing, education, infrastructure and a safe COVID recovery. We must also take this opportunity to take bold steps to eliminate the District’s stark racial wealth gap; given the unprecedented level of federal stimulus dollars at our disposal, the time is now. Councilmember McDuffie requested $20M to fund the Child Wealth Building Act of 2021 and $100M…
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Councilmember McDuffie Convenes Hearing on Child Wealth Building Act, Guaranteed Basic Income and Tax Policy

Councilmember McDuffie Convenes Hearing on Child Wealth Building Act, Guaranteed Basic Income and Tax Policy

Hearing an important step to advance wealth equity legislation and investigate revenue streams in the context of a post COVID-19 recession For Release: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Contact: Malcom Fox, 202-227-1701, mfox@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, Ward 5 Councilmember and Chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development Kenyan McDuffie convened a hearing to further develop wealth his Child Wealth Building Act, discuss the benefits of a guaranteed basic income pilot program, explore tax policy proposals and understand the long term impacts of the COVID-19 induced recession on our economic landscape. The four panels featured wealth equity and tax…
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Councilmember McDuffie’s FY21 Budget Victories for Entrepreneurs and Workers Come to Fruition

Councilmember McDuffie’s FY21 Budget Victories for Entrepreneurs and Workers Come to Fruition

For Release: Friday May 7, 2021 Contact: Malcom Fox, 202-227-1701, mfox@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Councilmember McDuffie secured funding for two key initiatives in the FY21 budget that DMPED moved forward today. First, the District has announced the initiation of the Disparity Study to understand the disparities in contracting in D.C. and to serve as the legal predicate for establishing a Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) program. Second, the Equity Impact Fund Grant Program will start accepting applications to connect businesses with access to capital who would otherwise struggle to get it. “I secured funding for these two programs because…
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Councilmember McDuffie Unveils “Baby Bonds” Legislation to Eliminate DC’s Racial Wealth Gap

Councilmember McDuffie Unveils “Baby Bonds” Legislation to Eliminate DC’s Racial Wealth Gap

New program would make unprecedented investment aimed at eliminating the District’s racial wealth gap    For Release: Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Contact: Malcom Fox, 202-227-1701, mfox@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Yesterday, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie introduced the Child Wealth Building Act, a child trust fund or “baby bonds” proposal aimed at eliminating the District’s stark racial wealth gap and ending generational poverty. In the District, a white family’s median wealth ($284,000) is 81 times higher than the median wealth of a Black family ($3,500). If passed, the child trust fund proposal would ensure that every baby born in the District…
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McDuffie Calls for Sweeping Investments in Black Communities to Address Covid Crisis and Eliminate the Racial Wealth Gap

McDuffie Calls for Sweeping Investments in Black Communities to Address Covid Crisis and Eliminate the Racial Wealth Gap

Urges the Mayor to advance a racial equity agenda that dismantles structural racism and empowers residents For Immediate Release: Monday, March 1, 2021Contact: Jonathan McNair, 202-288-0714, jmcnair@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie released his FY 2022 budget request lettercalling for resources to alleviate the immediate impacts of Covid, address Ward 5 constituent priorities, andadvance a racial equity agenda that gives all residents a real fair shot. In the document, CouncilmemberMcDuffie calls for a $120M dollar investment to eliminate the racial wealth gap including $100M for aguaranteed income program and $20M to develop and implement a District-based Baby…
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Councilmember McDuffie Calls on MPD to Release Stop-and-Frisk Data Mandated by 2016 NEAR Act

Councilmember McDuffie Calls on MPD to Release Stop-and-Frisk Data Mandated by 2016 NEAR Act

This call comes after a second ACLU lawsuit alleges MPD failed to release criticallyimportant policing data since March of 2020, despite the NEAR Act requiring data bereleased twice per year For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 16th, 2021Contact: Jonathan McNair, 202-288-0714, Jmcnair@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie renewed his call for the MetropolitanPolice Department to release certain policing data as statutorily required. The Neighborhood EngagementAchieves Results (NEAR) Act, authored by Councilmember McDuffie and passed unanimously by theCouncil in 2016, requires MPD to publicly release comprehensive stop-and-frisk data twice per year. Thiscall for transparency and accountability comes amid…
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Councilmember McDuffie’s Landmark REACH Act Begins Implementation with Launch of the Council Office of Racial Equity

Councilmember McDuffie’s Landmark REACH Act Begins Implementation with Launch of the Council Office of Racial Equity

Creates racial equity impact assessments that will be required for new legislation andresearch tools to help Council ensure someone’s race no longer predicts their success For Release: Monday, January 18th, 2021Contact: Jonathan McNair, 202-288-0714, Jmcnair@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, the Council of the District of Columbia celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day byofficially launching the Council Office of Racial Equity (CORE). This new office comes fromCouncilmember McDuffie’s Racial Equity Achieves Results (REACH) Act, which seeks to dismantle theinstitutional barriers that prevent many Black residents from succeeding in Washington, DC. CORE willadvance racial equity across the District, provide equity impact scores…
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Councilmember McDuffie’s Call for Equitable Vaccine Distribution Results in Priority for Wards Hit the Hardest

Councilmember McDuffie’s Call for Equitable Vaccine Distribution Results in Priority for Wards Hit the Hardest

More than 4,000 new appointments made available for residents in Wards 1,4,5,7,8 For Immediate Release: Friday, January 15th, 2021 Contact: Jonathan McNair, 202-288-0714, jmcnair@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, the DC Department of Health announced there will be an additional 4,309 vaccine appointments for residents of Wards 1,4,5,7, and 8 aged 65 and older, or who work in a health care setting, starting on Saturday January 16th at 9 AM. This new ward-based approach comes after Councilmember McDuffie requested that DC Health distribute vaccine appointments more equitably. “We must ensure residents hardest hit by this pandemic can access the vaccine,” said…
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Committee on Business and Economic Development Budget Report Advances Councilmember McDuffie’s Racial Equity Agenda

Committee on Business and Economic Development Budget Report Advances Councilmember McDuffie’s Racial Equity Agenda

Invests in Black entrepreneurs by providing access to capital.Operationalizes racial equity by implementing the REACH Act.Funds a disparity study so more District procurement supports minority and women entrepreneurs. Washington, D.C. -- On Thursday, June 25, 2020, the Committee on Business and Economic Development, led by Chairman Kenyan R. McDuffie, passed its budget report for Fiscal Year 2021. The budget is the culmination of months of work including public hearings, engagement with advocates and stakeholders. This budget report is focused on advancing Councilmember McDuffie's Racial Equity Agenda. With today’s vote in support of the budget report, Councilmember McDuffie said: "Developed through…
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