DC Council testimony on Initiative 83.

Self-government starts at home.

On May 1, 2026, Capital Rights Lab testified before the DC Council Committee on Executive Administration and Labor, urging the Council to fully fund Initiative 83 in the District budget.

The position was simple: DC cannot wait for statehood to build the structures that protect self-governance. That work starts at home, with semi-open primaries.

"We cannot credibly ask Congress for the full rights of statehood when we deny our own residents the right to vote in the only elections that matter in this city."Capital Rights Lab testimony · May 1, 2026