September 2019

Staff Contacts

Jonathan Willingham

Chief of Staff

[1][email protected]

Michael Porcello

Legislative Director

[2][email protected]

Dee Smith

Deputy Chief of Staff and Constituent Services Director

[3][email protected]

Kelly Whittier

Communications Director

[4][email protected]

Abigail McLean

Scheduler

[5][email protected]

[6]Submit a Constituent Services Request

Dear Neighbors,

We are now officially one week into the fall season and, while I had a
great time with you at special Ward 3 summer events and neighborhood block
parties, this was a productive and busy summer. Now that the Council is
back in session, I'm eager to advance legislation that I've been working on
over the past two months and move my existing bills through the legislative
process. While I highlight recent legislative introductions later on in
this email, I would like to take a moment here to flag an important
upcoming street and sidewalk safety hearing. At this hearing, my committee
will consider a number of important road infrastructure, bike lane, and
pedestrian safety bills that I hope will enhance the District's existing
Vision Zero program--a program that envisions a transportation system that
experiences zero deaths and major injuries. The hearing notice, which
includes time/location details as well as instructions on how sign up to
testify, is posted [7]online and I hope to have your input as we craft
stronger policies for safer streets and sidewalks this fall.

There is another fall event that I would like to highlight for all Ward 3
residents, and that is the Ward 3 Democrats' Short Term Family Housing Book
Drive. The Dems are collecting new children's books from now through
November 1st for the children and families who will stay at the short term
family housing facility currently being built on Idaho Ave. This is a
wonderful way to welcome new families to our community, and I hope you'll
join me in collecting varied and beloved books for the drive. For more
details on where and how to donate, please see [8]Ward3Democrats.org.

Regards,

Mary

Honoring the District's First Responders

Above: (Left) Councilmember Cheh leads a moment of silence in honor of
those lost on the eighteenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
(Center) Neighbors joined Councilmember Cheh at every firehouse in Ward 3
to express gratitude and deliver cupcakes and baked goods to local
firefighters. (Left) Councilmember Cheh was joined by Mayor Muriel Bowser,
FEMS Chief Gregory Dean, MPD Chief Peter Newsham, DC Firefighters
Association President Dabney Hudson, and Councilmembers Charles Allen and
Jack Evans to honor the District's first responders with a Ceremonial
Resolution presentation at Engine 16.

Legislative Update: Focusing on Health

Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes in the District: Councilmember Cheh
introduced the “Flavored Electronic Smoking Device Prohibition Amendment
Act” to curb youth vaping and addiction to electronic tobacco products.
Introduced with a majority of the Council, this legislation will prohibit
the sale or distribution of any flavored electronic smoking devices, such
as flavored e-cigarettes, flavored e-liquids, and flavored e-cigars. Over
the past few years, e-cigarette use has exploded among young people and
continues to rise at an exponential pace. According to the Campaign for
Tobacco-Free Kids, over the last year, e-cigarette use rose by 78% among
high school students and 48% among middle school students nationwide. Of
those users, 97% used flavored products in the past month and 70% cite the
flavors,such as the popular cotton candy and gummy bear flavors, as a key
reason for e-cigarette use.

For more on this effort, see [9]The Washington Post, [10]DCist, and [11]The
DC Line

Protecting Residents from Surprise Medical Billing: Most District residents
have insurance, but that insurance does not always cover circumstances
where a patient receives care from a doctor or hospital outside of their
insurance network. Sometimes, patients will go to an in-network hospital,
only to unknowingly receive some part of their care from an out-of-network
doctor, resulting in surprise medical bills. These bills, also called
balance bills, are often thousands of dollars and can financially devastate
a family. That's why Councilmember Cheh introduced legislation to prohibit
surprise billing in the District and to hold a patient harmless for bills
beyond the patient's normal in-network cost-sharing agreement. Instead,
payment disputes would be handled exclusively by the health care providers
and insurers--leaving the patient to focus on what is most important: his
or her health and recovery.

Ensuring Access to Biosimilars: Biologic drugs are pharmaceuticals derived
from livings cells or tissues and are increasingly prescribed to treat a
variety of diseases and conditions such as various cancers, rheumatoid
arthritis, Crohn's disease, and diabetes. The advantage of dispensing a
biosimilar drug is the same as dispensing a generic drug: they tend to be
significantly cheaper for patients and, through competition, can lead to
overall lower drug prices. On September 17th, Councilmember Cheh introduced
[12]legislation to allow pharmacists to substitute a biosimilar for a brand
name biologic, just as they are permitted to do in nearly every other
state. This change will provide District residents with improved access to
life-saving medication and expand treatment options for conditions where
traditional drugs have proven ineffective.

New Documentary Series:

DC Solar Stories- Councilmember Cheh featured as creator of Solar for All

The goal of the Solar for All program is to equip 100,000 households with
the benefits of solar energy by 2032. In this four part series, produced by
the Department on Energy and the Environment (DOEE), we learn why this
program got started and how D.C.'s model can help guide other jurisdictions
in growing their solar capacity.

[13]Watch the First Episode

Legislative Update: Supporting Public School Teachers

Supporting Teachers with a $500 Tax Credit: At the Council's first fall
Legislative Meeting, Councilmember Cheh reintroduced legislation to provide
a $500 tax credit for public and charter school teachers who use personal
dollars to cover the expenses of classroom supplies and equipment.

DC Public Schools currently provides every teacher with a $200 gift card
for classroom supplies at the start of each school year. While that funding
is intended to cover costs for the entire year, teachers report that $200
quickly falls short of their classroom needs. And, while the federal and
District tax codes currently include a small tax deduction for teachers for
education-related expenses, most teachers find that their salaries aren’t
high enough to justify itemizing deductions on their tax returns. Under
Councilmember Cheh's bill, teachers would be able to claim a $500 tax
credit for costs related to purchasing supplies, instructional materials,
or equipment in addition to any expenses incurred by a teacher for
professional development.

“It is no secret that District teachers make many personal and financial
sacrifices for our students—many spending hundreds of dollars throughout
the school year on vital classroom supplies or even food for their
students. These supplies are essential to ensuring students’ success and
our teachers should not have to sacrifice their take home pay to provide
for their classrooms. With this legislation, the District has the
opportunity to provide real financial relief to those teachers who again
and again reach into their own pockets to support our students,” said
Councilmember Cheh.

To follow and support the "Educator Expense Tax Credit Amendment Act,"
subscribe online here: [14]B23-0431.

A Productive and Busy Summer

Above: (Top Row) Councilmember Cheh conducted her 13th annual school
readiness tour with parents, DC Public School leadership, DC State Board of
Education President and Ward 3 representative Ruth Wattenberg, and
Department of General Services staff. The tours encompass a thorough
inspection of each school to identify any outstanding school needs and to
ensure that facilities are prepared and ready for students by the first day
of school.

(Bottom Left) Councilmember Cheh met with faith leaders from the Muslim and
Sikh communities to discuss strengthening civic engagement at the Ward
3-based Sikh Gurdwara. (Bottom Center) Councilmember Cheh swears in and
welcomes Jeremy Del Moral as the newest ANC Commissioner representing 3D10
on ANC 3D. (Bottom Right) Councilmember Cheh speaks at the International
Conference on Nutrition in Medicine to discuss her legislation to include
nutrition training as part of local physicians' continuing education
requirements.

In the News:

The Catholic Standard - Annual Unity Walk reminds people 'we are intended
to live in harmony'

...Ward 3 D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh urged participants to rebuke the
negativity and hatred in society. Cheh said the Unity Walk reminded
participants “we are walking every day. If you want to be generous, then
act generously; if you want to be kind then show kindness.” She urged the
walkers to “keep walking every day and realize the values that we cherish
every day.”

[15]Read the Full Story

Growing Support for Cheh's Care for LGBTQ Seniors Bill

On September 18th, 32 local organizations submitted a letter to the Council
in support of Councilmember Cheh's [16]Care for LGBTQ Seniors and Seniors
with HIV Amendment Act of 2019. The legislation addresses the significant
barriers to healthcare access for LGBTQ+ seniors and it has yet to receive
a hearing. To learn more about this health and wellness effort, please see
the letter of support below:

[17]Read the Full Letter

Bring a Share Table to your school!

The DC Food Project is a local non-profit aimed at reducing food waste in
schools while also increasing access to healthy foods for all students
through the Share Table initiative.

A Share Table is a place where students may leave unopened and/or sealed
foods that they choose not to eat during school breakfast and lunch,
thereby providing an opportunity for other students to take additional
helpings of food that would otherwise be thrown away. While serving a
greater need for nutrition and food access within local schools, these
tables also help in the reduction of food waste.

To learn more about this effort or to bring a Share Table to your school,
please see the link below:

[18]DC Food Project

Summer Fun with Ward 3

Above: (Left) Councilmember Cheh meets with US Women's National Team
Champions and Washington Spirit players Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle at
this summer's Ward 3 Day with the Washington Nationals. (Top Right)
Councilmember Cheh celebrated the National Night Out with Second District
Commander Duncan Bedlion and neighbors at the Guy Mason Recreation Center.
(Bottom Right) Councilmember Cheh selects the raffle winner at the 29th
Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All performance of Hamlet.

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References

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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