Today, during the Council of the District of Columbia’s 36th legislative meeting, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto co-introduced emergency legislation and moved an amendment that helps to strengthen the District’s post-pandemic local restaurant economy and additionally, voted in favor of legislation that she co-introduced to preserve the integrity of the District’s certified business enterprise program.

Many of you joined my recent community meeting on homelessness or have shared concerns with me and my team about neighbors experiencing homelessness. I hear your concerns and you can be assured that I am working with District agencies and community partners to move people into housing and alleviate homelessness in our community.

Among the hearing topics covered this week are the reestablishment of the District’s Tax Revision Commission, the District's unemployment insurance program, and distance learning in public schools

In an Opinion Editorial published in the Washington Blade, Councilmember Pinto addressed the need to ban the panic defense legal strategy in a court of law and announced that the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee would move legislation to achieve this before the end of the year. For many years, the panic defense legal strategy has unfairly protected those who attack the LGBTQIA+ community members due to a claimed fear of the victim’s sexual identity or orientation.

The Council convened our first post-recess legislative meeting. During the meeting, I co-introduced legislation and also voted to support small businesses, strengthen tenant rights and protections, and support members of the D.C. arts community.

Yesterday, the Council of the District of Columbia held its first post-recess legislative meeting. Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto co-introduced legislation to protect the integrity of the District’s local business enterprise program and to provide free feminine hygiene products in District public and public charter schools.

This past week, I spent time with representatives of the Georgetown Heritage Center to talk about recent improvements made to the Canal and future plans to continue to develop the area for educational and recreational uses.

Just last week, the District welcomed thousands of visitors from throughout the region and across the country to the Commitment March on Washington.

In response to this summer's widespread calls for criminal justice reforms, on Friday, August 28th, the National Action Network, led by civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, will host the "Get Off Our Necks" Commitment March on Washington.

In June of this year, I stood behind the seal of the Council of the District of Columbia to swear an oath and assume my role as the first woman to represent Ward 2.