Constituents in the nation’s capital passed a measure on Tuesday (Nov. 8), which favors petitioning Congress to include Washington, D.C., as a state in the union, reports NPR.
Now that the initiative has been passed, the petition is on its way to Congress, which makes the decision of approving or denying the motion. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently told the Washington Post, she plans to deliver the petition to the newly elected president (Donald Trump), and Congress as soon as Inauguration Day arrives.
“This is what I’ve heard from D.C. residents all over the city. . . . They want to be treated like every American. They want two senators,” Bowser said. “We need equality, and the only way to get there is with statehood.”
The new proposed “State of New Columbia” will award its residents with full congressional representation, which will be derived from a new state constitution stemming from the referendum. Seventy-nine percent of the voters were in favor of the ballot measure, which divides the District into a residential state with a small federal region befit for monuments and governmental buildings.
The new measure has four conditions:
- Agree that the District should be admitted to the Union as the State of New Columbia
- Approve of a Constitution of the State of New Columbia to be adopted by the Council
- Approve the State of New Columbia’s boundaries
- Agree that the State of New Columbia shall guarantee an elected representative form of government.
Still, Trump winning the presidency along with the congressional races that took place can affect whether or not D.C.’s petition is approved. In a 2015 interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said that he would be in favor of “whatever’s best for them,” referring to the people of the nation’s capital.
“I would look at a number of things,” he said. “And something would be done that everybody would be happy.”
Here are some reactions from the masses via Twitter about D.C.’s possible journey to become America’s 51st state:
Remember: racism has always been the main obstacle to DC statehood https://t.co/xUjj7t4VNW pic.twitter.com/ysIT6To2nV
— Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt) November 8, 2016
DO NOT VOTE FOR DC STATEHOOD.
— PABLO$ (@shadylulbitch) November 8, 2016
I’m learning some calligraphy and I made this. So proud to vote for #dcstatehood! #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/gpHfn2VuiZ
— Emily Phelps (@EPofDC) November 8, 2016