95% | Previous Score: 100%; 95% |
Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s votes on 2020 legislation:
Votes marked in red were the wrong direction for DC.
- Supported. This property tax break would have disproportionately benefited the wealthiest homeowners in the District and deprived our city of critical revenue. (B23-0079)
- Supported. This vote helped raise critical revenue for safe housing, education for young children, and other valuable social programs by cutting back wasteful tax giveaways to well-to-do tech companies. (Amendment to B23-0209)
- Supported. This vote directed critical tax revenue from large corporations towards long-standing housing and community needs, as well as relief for residents impacted by COVID. (Amendment to B23-0760)
- Supported. This vote helped raise critical revenue for violence interruption programs, support for immigrant residents, and other valuable social services by making DC’s wealthiest residents pay more of their fair share in taxes. (Amendment to B23-0760)
- Supported. This vote helped raise critical revenue for childcare, safe housing, and other essential pandemic relief programs by ending wasteful tax giveaways to well-to-do tech companies. (Amendment to B23-0760)
- Supported. This vote transferred control of school security away from the police, an important step in moving toward safe and police-free learning environments for all DC students. (Amendment to B23-0760)
- Supported. This vote would have paid for critical repairs to underfunded public housing by moving money away from the H Street NE streetcar. (Amendment to B23-0761)
- Opposed. This bill would have banned the use of invasive surveillance technology that is used to track and too often to criminalize residents, especially Black, Muslim, and immigrant DC residents. (Amendment to B23-0825)
- Supported. This procedural motion would have allowed the council to vote on a new tax to fund critical services. Since this motion failed, the new tax was not voted on and millions of dollars in cuts occurred very late in the budget process. (B23-0761)
- Opposed. This was a procedural vote that allowed Chairman Mendelson to unilaterally cut millions of dollars from the budget at the last minute without transparency or accountability, all in order to avoid a establishing new corporate tax. (B23-0761)
- Supported. This vote would have committed to protecting the right for health care workers to unionize at the planned Ward 8 hospital, a key labor and economic justice matter for the city. (Amendment to B23-0777)
- Supported. This vote ensured that when the DC government provided support to residents who were excluded from federal coronavirus relief, everyone who was left out of the federal bill or unemployment insurance could receive local support, including people working in the cash economy or returning from incarceration. (Amendment to B23-0867)
- Supported. All schools that receive public funds should be accountable to the people. This law requires public charter school and Public Charter School Board meetings to be open and accessible to the public just as the meetings of other public schools and the State Board of Education must be. (Amendment to B23-0760)
- Opposed. This vote authorized a lucrative no-bid contract to build the city’s sports betting system, bypassing the process designed to ensure fairness and good deals for taxpayers. (PR23-0361; R23-0177)
- Supported. This law requires the DC Council to consider whether new legislation will lead to greater racial equity in our city or will make historic racial inequities worse, all DC government employees to receive racial equity training, and the DC government to evaluate programs and practices for impact on racial equity. (B23-0038)
- Supported. This vote would have proactively held now-disgraced former Councilmember Jack Evans accountable for ethical violations by removing him from his committee assignments.
- Opposed. This amendment would have undermined the Second Look Act, a critical piece of legislation designed to reduce mass incarceration and allow incarcerated young people a chance to thrive.(Amendment to B23-0127)
- Opposed. This amendment would have undermined the Second Look Act, a critical piece of legislation designed to reduce mass incarceration and allow incarcerated young people a chance to thrive. (Amendment to B23-0127)
- Supported. This law eliminates a tax fraud loophole and helps hold all people and corporations accountable for paying their fair share of taxes. When everyone pays their fair share, the District has enough revenue to meet the basic human needs of all DC residents. (B23-0035)
- Supported. This law protects workers by banning employers from requiring contracts that prevent an employee from holding a second job. (B23-0494)
Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s votes on 2018 legislation:
Votes marked in red were the wrong direction for DC.
- Supported removing criminal penalties for people who don’t pay Metro fare (B22-0408)
- Opposed amendment maintaining criminal penalties for people who don’t pay Metro fare (B22-0408)
- Supported overriding the Mayor’s veto of #1 on this list (B22-0408)
- Supported additional translation resources in schools and government services (B22-0075)
- Supported funding to end homelessness with new revenue from online sales taxes (B22-0914)
- Opposed Initiative 77 repeal—which silenced DC voters and maintained the $3.89/hour “tipped wage” (B22-0913)
- Supported a compromise amendment on Initiative 77, which would have raised the $3.89/hour “tipped wage” for at least some employees (B22-0913)
- Opposed letting debt collectors take money out of more people’s paychecks (B22-0572)
- Supported more public restrooms downtown (B22-0223)
- Supported requiring more notice to tenants in the event of an eviction (B22-0809)
- Supported limits on rent increases for rent-controlled apartments when new tenants move in (B22-0025)
- Supported closing rent-control loophole that allowed landlords to manipulate rent hikes (B22-0999)
- Supported high-quality childcare for all families and expanding health services for low-income parents and their babies (B22-0203)
- Supported 100% clean energy in DC by 2032 (B22-0904)
- Supported a ban on campaign contributions from corporations that contract with the DC government (B22-0107)
Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s votes on 2016 legislation:
Councilmember Silverman was a champion for paid family and medical leave, and has taken strong stands to support affordable housing, fair scheduling and to prioritize funding for key services over tax cuts for millionaires and businesses.
Councilmember Silverman’s vote that held DC back:
- Supported restricting shelter access for people experiencing homelessness