Newsroom

Supporting Budget Investments that Protect District Residents

Last week, I testified before the Council supporting OAG’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal, which focuses on protecting District residents and saving taxpayers money. In line with our mandate to act in the public interest, our office is proposing a budget that allows us to do more of the kind of work that you regularly read about in this newsletter. Among OAG’s top priorities, our budget proposal will help us to:

• Fight Elder Abuse: Too many of our senior citizens are victimized by unscrupulous individuals and businesses. In fact, the number of elder abuse investigations in the District has doubled in the last four years, from 921 to 1,783. To keep pace with the rapidly growing problem, our proposed budget will increase our capacity to investigate and prosecute elder abuse.
• Protect Civil Rights: Discrimination remains a prevalent and persistent problem in the District. As the U.S. Department of Justice continues to scale back investigations and enforcement of civil rights violations, our proposed budget will increase capacity to fill crucial gaps to protect District residents. This enhancement will also bolster the District’s effectiveness in enforcing the D.C. Human Rights Act.
• Enhance Public Safety: Public safety is a top priority for OAG. Our violence interruption program—Cure the Streets—uses a proven, public-health approach that treats violence like a disease and is seeing positive results. If the Council chooses to expand Cure the Streets, we must prioritize the opening of new sites in our city’s most violent areas. Our proposed budget would also allow us to continue our innovative restorative justice program at current levels. Restorative justice uses mediation to empower victims to express how they were affected by crime and requires offenders to accept responsibility and engage in action to repair the harm they cause.

Investing in OAG will also greatly benefit the District financially. Since Fiscal Year 2015, OAG’s work has provided approximately $2.5 billion in savings and benefits to the District and relief for residents who need our help. Our attorneys work hard to avoid potential civil liability and protect tax dollars, winning 92% of the cases filed against the District in court and 93% of cases on appeal. By making strategic investments in OAG’s work, we can enhance our ability to help District residents in the future.

I hope you'll join me in supporting OAG’s budget that promotes the public interest and moves the District forward.

Celebrating Local Youth Writing to End Violence

It was a packed house last week as AG Racine hosted a celebration honoring local middle school students who participated in the “Do the Write Thing” Challenge, a national essay contest that gives students an opportunity to examine how violence affects them and propose solutions on how to stop it. Attendees, including U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, Councilmember Robert White, and Councilmember Trayon White, heard from the two essay winners, Aliyah Harrison and Michelle Marshall, who will represent the District alongside other state winners at a national recognition event this summer. Aliyah’s essay pinpointed many causes of youth violence, including social media, abuse, and untreated mental illness. Michelle emphasized the importance of asking for help, encouraging her peers to enlist trusted adults in potentially violent situations. Read these award-winning essays.

Working for You: OAG’s 2018-2019 Annual Report and Resource Guide

We’ve been busy at OAG for the past four years working on behalf of District residents. OAG’s new 2018-2019 Annual Report and Resource Guide highlights some of the office’s major advances to enhance public safety, protect consumers, hold slumlords accountable, fight wage theft, and more. Over the past four years, OAG’s work has resulted in more than $2.5 billion in savings and benefits to the District and relief to harmed consumers. Residents can use this resource guide to learn how to access OAG services, submit a complaint, and learn about their rights. Check it out.

Fighting for D.C. Statehood

Last week, AG Racine led a coalition of 21 attorneys general for the first time in supporting D.C. Statehood and urging Congress to pass H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. In a first-of-its-kind statement, the state attorneys general from across the country wrote, “The District of Columbia deserves a voice in this country’s legislature and should be able to govern itself like any other state.” The fight for statehood is gaining momentum across the country and in the halls of Congress. AG Racine will continue to stand up for D.C. Statehood, a fight for justice and equality and a fight to empower the District’s disenfranchised residents. Read the AG coalition’s statement.

Victory for Haitian Residents at Risk of Deportation

Recently, for the second time, a court blocked a Trump administration effort that threatened the legal status of long-time Haitian residents living in the United States. In September 2019, AG Racine, a proud Haitian-American, co-led a coalition of state AGs in standing up for these refugees who make valuable contributions to our communities and economy. If these residents lose authorization to stay in the United States, state and local economies would suffer, families would be torn apart, and these residents would lose access to healthcare. Learn more.