WASHINGTON - District of Columbia Mayor Muriel E. Bowser went to the spot where President Abraham Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation and released a draft constitution for a 51st U.S. state on Friday.
The event was part of Bowser's push for full statehood for the nation's capital, which is more populous than Vermont or Wyoming and contributes more in federal taxes than 22 states but lacks voting representation in Congress.
Members of Congress have final say over local D.C. laws and over the spending of local tax revenue, and they routinely intervene in District issues, such as barring public funding of abortions for low-income residents and blocking the full legalization of marijuana.
Sensing growing unrest among her constituents over the District's second-class status, and convinced that the lack of a vote in Congress makes it harder to resolve the city's major issues, such as fixing Metro, Bowser (D) is making a concerted effort for statehood.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/us/charter-for-d-c-as-state-unveiled-1.408307
