SJR 6-WASHINGTON D.C. STATEHOOD  4:29:00 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 6 Supporting the admittance of Washington, D.C., into the Union as a state of the United States of America. 4:29:23 PM MIKE MASON, Staff, Senator Loki Tobin, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided a recap of SJR 6 and read the following: [Original punctuation provided.] The people that live in our nation's capital have many of the same rights as you and I. However, they don't have all the same rights. Senate Joint Resolution 6 seeks to change that. Right now, the people of Washington, D.C. pay more in federal taxes per capita than any other state in the Union despite that fact that they are not fully represented in Congress. If taxation without representation is wrong, then the people of Washington, D.C. are being wronged. Right now, the people of Alaska are represented by two U.S. Senators. The people of Washington, D.C. have no representation in the U.S. Senate. Right now, the people of Alaska are represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a single congressperson with all the rights and responsibilities of a member of Congress. Thanks to legislation passed in 1970, the people of Washington, D.C. are allowed to send a delegate to Congress. However, that person does not get to vote on bills, resolutions, and other matters before Congress. All they can do is talk. I believe the will of the people that live in Washington, D.C. is missing from the deliberations and decisions made in the U.S. Congress. As a result, the roughly 700,000 people that live in the District of Columbia are disenfranchised from our federal government despite that fact that they live in and around the seat of the federal government. 4:31:08 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced invited and public testimony on SJR 6. 4:31:31 PM WENDY HAMILTON, Reverend, Washington D.C., testified by invitation on SJR 6 and stated that this legislation would give representation in Congress to the 700,000 hardworking, taxpaying residents of Washington, D.C. She stated that D.C is her home, she lives, works, volunteers, and raises her family in D.C., like many others who contribute to the vibrant community. Yet, D.C. residents have no vote in Congress, despite paying more federal taxes per capita than any state and having a larger population than Vermont or Wyoming. She said the local laws and the budget can be overturned by Congress, which often uses D.C. for political battles. D.C. residents have fought in every U.S. war but still lack full representation. This isn't about partisanship; it's about fairness and democracy. She stated that D.C. isn't asking for anything special, just the same representation every other state enjoys. D.C. statehood is about giving a voice to Americans who have been denied their voice for too long. 4:37:19 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN stated that Washington, D.C. was originally designed as a square, spanning both sides of the Potomac River. He asked why Washing D.C is no longer a square and why didn't Virginia provide the portion of land as originally intended for the capital. 4:38:07 PM MS. HAMILTON answered her belief that the founders never expected hundreds of thousands of people to permanently live in D.C. but as the population grew, it became clear that D.C. had to account for those residents outside the federal district. She said what D.C. is asking for now is representation for those residents, while still preserving the federal district itself. 4:38:45 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN asked whether it would be acceptable for Washington, D.C. residents to gain congressional representation by becoming part of Maryland, similar to how the Virginia portion of D.C. was returned to that state. 4:39:09 PM MS. HAMILTON answered that Maryland is not interested in having Washington D.C. merge with the state of Maryland. She restated her previous testimony. 4:41:32 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI closed invited and public testimony on SJR 6. 4:41:46 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked whether there are any other United States citizens that pay federal taxes but aren't represented in Congress. 4:41:57 PM MR. MASON answered the United States citizens in Puerto Rico. 4:42:30 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI solicited the will of the committee. 4:42:38 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SJR 6, work order 34- LS0263\N, from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note(s). 4:42:52 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN objected. 4:42:53 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI found the objection was maintained and asked for a roll call vote. 4:43:21 PM A roll call vote was taken. Senators Gray-Jackson, Wielechowski and Kawasaki voted in favor of moving SJR 6 and Senators Bjorkman and Yundt voted against it. The vote was 3:2. 4:44:22 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced that SJR 6 was reported from committee on a vote of 3 yeas and 2 nays. 4:44:34 PM At ease.