You Can Hurry LOVE: Council Quickly Reestablishes DC Marriage Despite Federal Shutdown

Fortunately, thanks to a provision included in DC appropriations legislation by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton every year since 2015, when the federal government shuts down, the District government does not. Our government remains fully operational and open for business because of this important carve-out.

Yet, because of the District's unique status as federal capital, some vestigial elements of federal control over what would normally seem to be municipal matters still persist, and these odd remnants-the exceptions that prove the rule-do grind to a halt during federal shutdowns. Chief among these quirks: the issuance of DC marriage licenses by the federally-funded DC Superior Court, which is not deemed an essential service.

This was the lay of the land facing the Council when it met for its most recent Legislative Meeting, just seven days into the federal shutdown. Yet, as was also the case with threatened and actual government shutdowns in the past several years, the Council stepped in with short-term legislation-the Let Our Vows Endure (LOVE) Act to bridge the marriage gap forced upon us in the absence of a functioning federal government.

The fix: to allow DC's mayor to issue marriage licenses and to designate temporary wedding officiants. This proposed solution was included in both emergency legislation (effective for 90 days) and temporary legislation (effective for 225 days). The vote on the emergency measure (which required a supermajority of nine Councilmembers) and the first of two necessary votes on the temporary measure, both occurred at the most recent Legislative Meeting. The emergency bill was transmitted to the mayor and has now been signed. The temporary bill will be transmitted after the required second vote.

A number of notable pieces of legislation which had been agendized for consideration at the most recent Legislative Meeting were instead postponed. One was reconsideration of the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act, to address technical issues regarding exempting properties with four or fewer units from tenants' opportunity to purchase protections. A second was an emergency bill to again allow short-term, geographically-targeted youth curfews, after a prior such bill had expired. A third bill would have limited the applicability of green energy building requirements on government housing construction. All of these measures will likely return for future Council consideration, possibly as early as a newly-scheduled Legislative Meeting on October 21.

The following measures were among those approved at the most recent Legislative Meeting:

• A designation of the District as the Official Sports Capital of the United States
• The establishment of a Youth Advisory Council on Climate Change and Environmental Conservation, along with proposed stipends for participants, to allow equitable representation
• Emergency and temporary bills regarding business licensing reforms, including re-establishment of a four-year basic business license for certain classes of businesses, and the renewal of expired business licenses after an extended period if a fine is paid
• A Ceremonial Resolution honoring former Mayor, Council Chair, and Councilmember Vincent Gray
• A Ceremonial Resolution honoring longtime Department of Health and Department of Public Works employee (and DC Rat Czar) Gerard Brown for his 25 years of government service
• The renaming of the Connecticut Avenue bridge over Klingle Valley in honor of longtime disability rights advocate Judith Heumann
• The symbolic renaming of Sumner Street, SE in Barry Farm as Marvin "Slush" Gross Way, after the pioneer of the uniquely DC "Beat Ya Feet" dance form
• Tracy Hadden Loh's renomination to the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Former DC Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt's nomination to the Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board
• Former DC Homeland Security Commission Chair Brad Belzak's nomination to the Board of Directors of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission

The Council's next Legislative Meeting will be held on October 21.