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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 10 February 2023

House votes to overturn D.C. criminal code and voting laws

By ASHRAF KHALIL her own objections.
Associated Press “We don’t want any inter-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ference on our local laws,”
Republican-led House has she said last week.
launched the first salvo “Quite frankly, members of
in what could be a long- Congress have expressed
running feud with the Dis- similar concerns. There’s
trict of Columbia over self- a lot of people that don’t
government in the nation’s agree with what the coun-
capital. cil did.”
In back-to-back votes, the New York Rep. Anthony
House voted Thursday to Esposito, a former police
overturn a sweeping re- officer, accused the D.C.
write of the criminal code Council of “empowering
passed by the City Coun- criminals at the expense of
cil last year and a new law the public,” and said the
that would grant nonciti- new criminal code would
zens the right to vote in lo- “effectively prevent the
cal elections. local justice system from
Congressional oversight of keeping criminals off of our
the district is written into the streets, all while D.C. grap-
Constitution. And while it ples with a crime wave.”
has been more than three Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.,
decades since Congress the top Democrat on the
outright nullified a D.C. law, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference about the arrest of House Committee on Over-
suspect in a recent string of attacks on homeless people, March 15, 2022, in Washington.
Congress has frequently Associated Press sight and Accountability,
used alternative methods and Rep. Eleanor Holmes
such as budget riders to and be signed by President the federal government. ly overridden by the D.C. Norton, D.C’s nonvoting
alter laws on issues ranging Joe Biden. However, both The debate has put D.C. Council in a 12-1 vote. delegate in the Congress,
from abortion funding to House votes garnered a Mayor Muriel Bowser in a Republican lawmakers de- spent most of the morn-
marijuana legalization. notable amount of Demo- curious political position. cried the D.C. government ing House debate playing
The House voted 250-173 cratic support with 31 Dem- Bowser vetoed the rewrite as soft on criminals in the defense. Norton said the
to overturn the rewrite of ocrats voting to overturn of the city’s criminal code midst of a multi-year local new mandatory minimum
the criminal code, which the criminal code rewrite in January, saying the max- spike in violent crime. Sev- penalties would still be
among other things, re- and 42 voting to overturn imum penalty reductions eral Republican lawmakers higher than those for iden-
duced the maximum pen- the voting measure. Biden send “the wrong message” have cited Bowser’s oppo- tical crimes in multiple U.S.
alties for burglary, carjack- has said publicly that he on crime prevention, Bows- sition to bolster their own states.
ing and robbery. The voting opposes both measures, er also apposed a measure arguments. Raskin accused House Re-
rights bill also was over- but has not explicitly stated that would allow for jury tri- But Bowser has publicly publicans of ignoring their
turned by a 260-173 vote. he would veto them. als in most misdemeanor stated she does not want own public dedication to
The moves may be par- Thursday’s votes signal a cases, saying the sudden Congress to get involved in states’ rights by carrying
tially symbolic since both new and openly combat- spike in jury trials would the process, while also cit- out a longstanding ven-
would have to pass the ive phase in the District’s overwhelm the local justice ing congressional concern detta against the D.C.
Democratic-held Senate tortured relationship with system. Her veto was quick- as proof of the validity of government.q

Tiny California mouse wins Guinness award for longevity

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A tiny which weighs as much as America and gets its name and nesting materials, the liance recorded 117 pups
California mouse now has three pennies, is the small- from cheek pouches the wildlife alliance said. born in a record 31 litters.
a big title after winning a est mouse species in North animals use to carry food The mouse once had a Many of the mice will be re-
Guinness World record for range stretching from Los introduced to the wild this
longevity. Angeles south to the Ti- spring, the alliance said.
A Pacific pocket mouse juana River Valley but the A new population of Pacif-
named Pat — after “Star population plunged after ic pocket mice was estab-
Trek” actor Patrick Stewart 1932 because of human lished in Orange County’s
— received the Guinness encroachment and habi- Laguna Coast Wilderness
approval Wednesday as tat destruction, the alli- Park and the mice be-
the oldest living mouse in ance said. The mouse was gan breeding without hu-
human care at the ripe age thought to be extinct for man assistance in 2017,
of 9 years and 209 days, 20 years until tiny, isolated the alliance said. Though it
the San Diego Zoo Wildlife populations were rediscov- doesn’t receive the public-
Alliance announced after ered in 1994 in Dana Point ity of larger and more char-
a certification ceremony. in Orange County but the ismatic species, the Pacific
Pat was born at the at the species remains endan- pocket mouse is critical to
San Diego Zoo Safari Park gered, the alliance said. its ecosystem because the
on July 14, 2013, under a In 2012, the alliance began mice disperse the seeds
conservation breeding pro- This Jan. 10, 2023, photo provided by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife a breeding program to of native plants and their
gram, the alliance said. Alliance shows a Pacific pocket mouse named Sir Patrick help save the mouse from digging encourages plant
The Pacific pocket mouse, Stewart. extinction. Last year, the al- growth, the alliance said.q
Associated Press