Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving quickly to reshape how crime is prosecuted in the D.C. area. On Tuesday, the House passed two major bills: the D.C. Crimes Act, which lowers the age of youth offenders from 24 to 18 and requires judges to hand down mandatory adult sentences, and the Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, which allows children as young as 14 to be tried as adults.
Both measures drew support from 30 Democrats.
Today, the House is expected to take up two more bills — one that would expand police pursuits in D.C. and another that would strip the city of its authority to appoint local judges.
Advocates warn both measures would further weaken the Home Rule Act. They say the fight over D.C.’s autonomy is far from over.
The House Oversight Committee will hold a full hearing on D.C. governance. Critics say the issue isn’t about crime but about Congress reaching deeper into the lives of residents and challenging self-rule.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
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