Grosso’s Reproductive Rights Legislation to Protect Women and Families

For Immediate Release

May 6, 2014

Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun

(202) 724-8105

Grosso’s Reproductive Rights Legislation to Protect Women and Families  

Washington, D.C. – Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014, a bill to amend the Human Rights Act of 1977 to ensure that individuals are protected from discrimination by an employer or employment agency based on an individual’s reproductive health decision making, including a decision to use a particular drug, device, or medical service based on an employer’s personal beliefs about such methods of family planning.

Nationally, there have been a number of disturbing cases of bosses retaliating against employees for their reproductive health care decisions. For example, in Wisconsin, after the state legislature passed a law requiring insurance plans to cover contraception, the Catholic diocese told employees that if they used the benefit, they would be fired. In the past 4 years alone, individuals in California, Texas, Montana, and Indiana have brought discrimination suits against their employers after being fired from their jobs for being pregnant without being married. 

Recently, a Supreme Court case brought by Hobby Lobby explored whether the federal government can require for-profit companies to provide coverage for forms of birth control that conflict with the company owners’ personal religious beliefs. The Hobby Lobby case is only one of more than 100 federal lawsuits by employers seeking to limit contraception coverage benefits that are available under the Affordable Care Act.

“An employer should not be able to tell their employee whether or not they can access certain kinds of health care,” said Grosso.  “While the District enjoys some of the strongest non-discrimination laws in the country, this specific legislation signals that we stand by the rights of women and families to make their own reproductive health decisions without involvement from their employer.”

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Grosso's Elections Reform Package to Boost Voter Turnout

For Immediate Release: 

March 4, 2014

Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun

(202) 724-8105

Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced an elections reform package in an effort to allow more residents to engage and participate in the democratic process. The legislation includes the "Instant Runoff Voting Amendment Act of 2014," the "Open Primary Elections Amendment Act of 2014," and the "Clean Hands Elections Reform Amendment Act of 2014."

The "Instant Runoff Voting Amendment Act of 2014" would provide a method of casting and tabulating votes whereby voters would be able to rank candidates in the order of their choice and the candidates with the least number of votes would be eliminated. 

"It is extremely troubling that candidates can be elected to public office with as little as 30 percent of the vote," said Grosso.  "This important legislation will increase voter turnout as voters will be free to mark their ballot for the candidate that they truly prefer without fear that their choice will help elect their least preferred candidate. More importantly, instant runoff voting ensures that the elected candidate has a true majority support."

Grosso introduced the "Open Primary Elections Amendment Act of 2014" highlighting that the District has a growing number of Independent voters that identify with neither the Republican nor the Democratic Party.  According to the D.C. Board of Elections, in 2003, there were a little over 50,000 Independent voters and today, almost 76,000 District voters identify as such, yet these voters do not have the opportunity to vet candidates for public office through the primary process.

This legislation would allow qualified registered voters the opportunity to change their party affiliation through Election Day. 

Finally, the "Clean Hands Elections Reform Amendment Act of 2014" would require candidates seeking elected office in D.C. to receive certification from the Office of Campaign Finance that neither the candidate nor any of the candidate's previous campaigns or political committees owe any outstanding taxes, fines or fees to the District prior to receiving ballot access.

"By requiring candidates to certify that they have 'clean hands' when it comes to their prior campaigns, we will encourage our candidates to be more attentive to the elections and campaign finance rules," said Grosso.

Grosso will continue to push for residents to become more engaged in the political process. During his first year in office, he introduced the "Public Financing of Political Campaigns Amendment Act of 2013" and more recently the "Local Resident Voting Rights Act of 2013."

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Grosso Calls for New Approach to Improve Relationship between MPD and the Transgender Community

For Immediate Release: 

 February 27, 2014

Contact: Dionne Johnson Calhoun

(202) 724-8105

Washington, D.C. - Today, Councilmember David Grosso (At Large-I) issued the following statement regarding the recently released report by the Hate Crimes Assessment Task Force written by the Anti-Defamation League on the Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) programs in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community:  

The report released yesterday on relations between MPD and the LGBT community is an important step toward improving public safety in our city. While I think the recommendations are sensible and Chief Lanier should act on them quickly, I was concerned in particular with one of the findings. It is upsetting that our transgender residents continue to have extremely negative interactions with MPD, despite MPD having some of the best LGBT policies in the country.

Another concern after reading the report was that the findings and recommendations on improving safety for transgender residents did not mention the policing of commercial sex. The report noted that transgender women (African-Americans and Latinas in particular), express that MPD regularly views and treats them as criminals. This might be as much a result of legal policies as it is a result of police bias.

Just as we are reconsidering our drug laws, which have been found to be discriminatory, I think it is time that we open up the conversation regarding how we handle commercial sex.  We need to consider changing from a framework of criminalization to a framework that emphasizes the health and human rights of those involved. I look forward to having serious conversations about these topics with my constituents and my colleagues.

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Now is the Time to Take a Stand for D.C. Workers and Home Rule

For Immediate Release

September 25, 2013

Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) called on Mayor Gray and Chairman Mendelson to refuse to shut down the D.C. government in the face of the impending federal shutdown.   A D.C. government shutdown will have a seriously difficult impact on D.C. workers and the local economy.

“A shutdown, imposed by the federal government, with no pay for D.C. workers, will make it impossible for many D.C. employees to pay their bills and feed their families. It is offensive that the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is telling the D.C. government how to spend the money we raised through taxing D.C. residents and businesses.  D.C. is the only local jurisdiction impacted in this manner and one thing is true, if D.C. were San Antonio, there would be a battle at the Alamo over this,” said Grosso.

“Chairman Mendelson and the Mayor should not send a plan to OMB, but instead should declare that all D.C. employees are essential,” stated Grosso.  “The citizens of the District of Columbia passed a budget autonomy referendum last year and it goes into effect on Jan. 1.  That referendum frees D.C.’s budget from the burdensome annual Congressional approval.  We should immediately take our budget into our own hands and refuse OMB’s requests for shutdown plans.”

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