Tuesday, July 7, 2009 11:56 a.m.
The 30-day Congressional review period for D.C. legislation that would recognize gay marriages performed in other states expired at 12:01 this morning.
Congress has the power to review any bill passed in D.C. in the 30 days after it is signed. But if it is not reviewed or challenged in that time, the bill automatically becomes law.
The bill stipulates that same-sex couples who have married in a different state retain the rights of a married couple in the District. Same-sex marriage has been approved in Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Gay marriages were also performed in California before Proposition 8, a ballot vote to ban same-sex marriages, was passed in late 2008.
Passed in May by the D.C. City Council, the legislation drew sharp protest from some black reverends and leaders, including the lone dissenter on the vote, councilmember Marion Barry, D-Ward 8.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed the bill the day after it was passed.
Sunday, June 29, 2008 8:10 p.m.
On Tuesday night, the Ward 2 Democrats endorsed current D.C. Councilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Kwame Browne (D-At Large) for the election this fall. Evans, a 17-year veteran of the Council, won the endorsement over Cary Silverman, a graduate of GW’s graduate and law schools and president of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association. Brown will likely face two oponents in the primary: activists Clarence Cherry and George Jackson.
Readers of the Washington Post are saying on their blog that Evans dramatically outspent Silverman at the event and claim that his 22percent margin of victory is underwhelming for a longtime incumbent. Several commenters said Evans provided transport for his supporters and bought KFC dinners for those showed up.
Brown and Evans made headlines last year when they helped prevent the sale of public land near the West End Library to a Georgeotwn-based real estate company after initially supporting the legislation. Evans is also a staunch proponent of an annual GW-Georgetown basketball game.
Ward 2 includes Foggy Bottom, as well as the Georgetown, Shaw and Dupont Circle neighborhoods.
