What a week of local news. From a major budget vote at the D.C. Council to a special election in Ward 8, there's been a lot going on. If your head is spinning, we're here to help.
P.S. Have you heard? We're raising money to hire the intrepid and irreplaceable Martin Austermuhle. We're 20% of the way to our goal and could use your help. If you appreciate Martin's reporting (it is all over this newsletter), donate what you can and share the link with your friends!
D.C. voters approved Initiative 83 last year. (Martin Austermuhle)
The D.C. Council just voted to fund ranked-choice voting, but the other aspect of Initiative 83 is still in limbo, writes Lisa Rice, CEO of Grow Democracy DC and the proposer of I-83. Lawmakers must also vote to fund the part of the law allowing independents to vote in local primaries.
City Paper's "best of" guide for 2025 is out, featuring readers' choices as well as staff picks on the best places to walk your dog, wander around for free, see an up-and-coming band, and more. [WCP]
What riders have to say (so far) about the Better Bus redesign of the city's bus routes. [Washington Informer]
And that's all for us this week!
Natalie
Oh, and P.S. – thanks for coming to our happy hour! We had a blast mingling, chatting, and learning with all of you. We even debuted some merch! In case you missed it, we announced that we're running our second crowdfunding campaign to grow The 51st and hire an editor (Christina Sturdivant-Sani) and a reporter (Martin Austermuhle) full-time. We've been building this thing as part-time contractors, but now it's time to invest and grow.
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