From Alden Leonard. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives has voted down a proposal that would have made it the first state to endorse statehood for the District, DCist reports. The measure failed by a 248-79 vote that fell mostly along party lines. (See Borderstan’s previous coverage on the DC statehood movement, links at bottom of this post.)
Click for more photos from DC Flag Tattoo Day in Dupont Circle on June 14. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The vote followed a trip last month by a delegation of District officials who traveled to the Granite State to lobby the chamber to make DC the 51st state. State representatives in Concord balked at the request, questioning in particular whether granting such autonomy to the nation’s capital would be constitutional.
The delegation tried a number of arguments to sway the Chamber, but to no avail. There are other similar measures supporting DC statehood in state legislatures around the country.
Bordertan asked Martin Moulton, who is active in the DC statehood movement for comment.
“What I learned on my visit to Concord was that a majority of the state leaders, where I attended one of the top colleges in the United States, are completely ignorant about facts about our nation’s capital city. It’s 2012. I was shocked and embarrassed for them. When my father and aunts immigrated to this country, they needed a better understanding of civics than some of these lawmakers needed to get elected,” said Moulton.
In addition to being active in the DC statehood movement, Moulton is president of the Convention Center Community Association. He is also “#39” — one of 41 DC residents arrested April 11 during a sit-in demonstration near the U.S. Capitol.
Check out the DC Vote site for more information about the statehood movement.
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Inked and Non-Inked both welcome. DC Flag Tattoo Day event is from 6 to 8 pm Tuesday in Dupont Circle. (Photo from @24HourCity)
Organizers of DC Flag Tattoo Day are using national Flag Day to bring attention to the District’s lack of vote in Congress. An event in Dupont Circle from 6 to 8 pm today will feature speakers from DC Vote, art by Give Me a Vote and Albus Cavus.
If you’ve got a tattoo that features the DC flag — three starts and two bars as it’s called — you’re encouraged to come and show it off! Bryan Weaver even has one.
The Details
- Who: Inked, non-Inked, and all who LOVE DC
- What: Flag Day DC Celebration, Speakers sponsored by DC Vote, Art sponsored by Give Me a Vote and Albus Cavus, and surprises!
- When: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 6pm to 8pm
- Where: Dupont Circle, Washington DC, USA, “Home of Taxation Without Representation”
- After Party: ESL 1212 18th Street NW, 8pm to midnight, DJ Nightkrawler
