July 2019

Staff Contacts

Jonathan Willingham

Chief of Staff

[1][email protected]

Nicole Rentz

Legislative Director

[2][email protected]

Nicholas Kram Mendelsohn

Constituent Services

[3][email protected]

Kelly Whittier

Communications Director

[4][email protected]

Abigail McLean

Scheduler

[5][email protected]

[6]Submit a Constituent Services Request

Dear Neighbors,

Over the past few months, the Humane Society of the United States and
Humane Society International conducted an undercover investigation into the
flourishing ivory market in the District of Columbia. Dubbed the "new hub
for ivory sales in the United States" by National Geographic in 2017, the
Humane Society discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ivory
products moving through the District. Despite federal and international
efforts, legal loopholes and insufficient enforcement have sustained a
profitable and predatory ivory market. A number of states have begun to
supplement and support existing federal law by banning the intrastate sale
of ivory. In fact, I have introduced [7]legislation to do this on three
separate occasions since 2015, but without momentum on the Council, the
bill has never passed. Unfortunately, because the District does not have
any laws regulating this industry, the market has moved here.

On Tuesday, I joined the Humane Society for the public release of their
undercover findings and to call for additional public support for the
legislation to ban the sale of ivory and rhino horn in the District. The
District should not be a sanctuary for the profits of animal slaughter, and
I hope that with your support we can pass my legislation this fall and
finally close our local ivory market.

Regards,

Mary

Learn more on D.C.'s ivory market from [8]WAMU, [9]WTOP, [10]NBC4 &
[11]HSUS

Above: (left) Councilmember Cheh speaking with the newest local
environmental activist group, the Glover Park Village Green; (center)
Councilmember Cheh welcomes Ward 3 residents to the Shakespeare Theatre
Company's production of Hamlet; (right) neighbors, the Crush Funk Band, and
staff join Councilmember Cheh to hand out fruit snacks and pocket
Constitutions at the Annual Palisades 4th of July Parade.

Legislative Update

Better Management of Electric Scooters and Bikes: Councilmember Cheh
introduced the “Electric Mobility Device Amendment Act of 2019” as a
working draft for new rules and requirements for electric scooter and bike
operators in the District. Throughout the summer, Councilmember Cheh's
staff will lead working group meetings with agency staff and local
advocates to discuss this legislation and other road safety proposals
referred to the Committee on Transportation & the Environment. The goal is
to take a broad and comprehensive approach to establishing common sense
rules that will increase road and sidewalk safety. Main components of the
bill currently include:
* Requiring operators to maintain a 24-hour toll-free phone number for
members of the public to report illegally parked scooters;
* Mandating that operators move illegally parked scooters within three
hours of receiving a complaint;
* Requiring operators to pay a bond to the District that will be used to
pay for any damage their devices cause to public property;
* Requiring operators to maintain at least 10% of its fleet in each Ward;
* Setting the scooter speed limit to 15 miles per hour on the street or
bike lane and reducing the speed limit to 6 miles per hour while operating
on the sidewalk;
* Giving the DDDOT Director the ability to suspend permits of operators
who are not abiding by the law and provide the agency with the authority to
fine operators who have been the subject of a disproportionate number of
complaints; and
* Requiring DDOT to construct signage and/or pavement markings to
identify the Central Business District.

Relief from Housing Discrimination: District law does not currently
provide for any eviction records to be sealed or expunged, even those made
in error or found groundless by a court, and, as such, these records follow
a tenant indefinitely. Councilmember Cheh's “Eviction Record Sealing
Authority Amendment Act of 2019” creates a process for when and how
District courts may seal eviction records. This legislation will provide
long-needed relief to tenants throughout the District, helping ensure that
eviction records no longer hamper tenants’ ability to secure safe,
affordable housing. It will provide the Court with the flexibility to seal
eviction records, where appropriate, and ensures that a one-time mistake
does not follow – and harm – tenants for the rest of their lives. To read
more on this bill, please see [12]DCist, [13]Street Sense, and [14]Greater
Greater Washington.

Congratulations to Nathaniel Casson!

 Ward 3 resident Nathaniel Casson, pictured left with his family, is a
nationally-ranked speed skater and the 2019 Silver Medalist in his age
group for the Group Short Track Speedskating National Championships.
Councilmember Cheh presented Nathaniel with a Ceremonial Resolution in the
Council Chambers in recognition of his remarkable athletic accomplishment.
Nathaniel is a School Without Walls student and was recently named to the
2019-2020 Short Track Development Team by US Speedskating.

Food & Nutrition Legislative Update

Nutrition Education for Health Providers: Councilmember Cheh introduced the
"Continuing Nutrition Education Amendment Act of 2019" to require that
doctors, nurses, and physician assistants obtain regular nutrition-focused
training as part of their existing continuing education requirements. As
vital as nutrition is to the prevention and treatment of most chronic
diseases, nutrition is under-emphasized, if taught at all, in medical
education. Further, surveys have found that doctors feel inadequately
trained to provide nutritional counseling to their patients. Including
nutrition instruction to the medical field's continuing education
requirements will enable healthcare professionals to incorporate nutrition
counseling into clinical practice to better help prevent nutrition-related
disease and death in the District.

Supporting the District's Urban Farmers: The Urban Farming Land Lease
Program aims to increase urban farming in the District by allowing farmers
to lease vacant public land for the creation and maintenance of urban
farms. As reported in the [15]Washington City Paper, the program's
implementation has been delayed by unnecessary and burdensome requirements,
stymieing multiple urban farmer's efforts to grow healthy, local produce.
Councilmember Cheh's "Urban Farming Land Lease Amendment Act" makes
clarifying changes to the program to address these inefficiencies and
prevents further delay to a program with the potential to foster local
entrepreneurship and agriculture.

Above: Sterling Tucker, the Council's first elected Chairman, passed away
in his home on July 14th at the age of 95. A champion for civil rights and
DC Statehood, Chairman Tucker lay in repose at the Wilson Building on
Tuesday, July 23rd. To read more about his life of service and legacy,
please see the Washington Post's tribute, available: [16]Here.

In the News:

The Politics Hour - Councilmember Cheh joins The Kojo Namdi Show to discuss
the final Council session

Between narrowly approving a controversial sports gambling contract and
removing Councilmember Evans of his chairmanship of the Finance and Revenue
Committee, the last D.C. Council session before summer recess was a lively
one. Councilmember Mary Cheh joined the Politics Hour to discuss it.

[17]Listen to the Full Segment

Paid Family Leave Update

On July 1^st, the District began collecting taxes for the Paid Family Leave
benefit fund. Due to the number of residents who have contacted our office
with questions relating to the Paid Family Leave Act, we asked the
Department of Employment Services to provide answers to Ward 3 residents's
most frequently-asked questions and have posted those answers through the
link below:

[18]Paid Family Leave FAQs

Mark Your Calendar for Ward 3 at the Lawn!

The National Building invites Ward 3 residents to visit their summer
exhibition, Lawn, with free admission on August 6th from 9:00 am to 11:00
am.

Lawn is an immersive installation built to host quintessential summer
activities, including an augmented reality game allowing kids and adults to
chase, collect, and release fireflies in the National Building Museum
space.

To learn more about Lawn, see:

[19]5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Lawn at the National Building Museum

The Van Ness Main Street invites you to Pups on the Patio! Bring your dog
to happy hour and enjoy food & drink specials from local businesses.

August 9th:[20] Acacia Food & Wine

August 16th: [21]Soapstone Market

August 23rd: [22]Sfoglina Restaurant

August 30th: [23]Italian Pizza Kitchen

A prize will be awarded at the end of the month for the best dog photo,
post your pictures on social media and use the tag #VNPups to enter!

In the News:

HEARING THE COUNCIL PODCAST - Hosted by Josh Gibson. @councilofdc

...This week's policy deep dive: Councilmember Cheh joins the podcast to
discuss making food access and nutrition a priority on the Council...

[24]Listen to the Podcast

[25]Facebook [26]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

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