Three things for April 23
1. Anti-Asian hate crime bill passes through Senate
On Thursday, with a favorable vote of 94-1, the Senate passed a bill to fight against hate crimes that target Asian Americans. The only senator who did not vote in favor of the bill was Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer commented on the vote, saying, “The vote today on the anti-Asian hate crimes bill is proof that when the Senate is given the opportunity to work, the Senate can work to solve important issues.”
The bill will distribute grant money to train officials to be better equipped in tracking hate crimes, create hotlines specifically for reporting hate crimes, provide education through public campaigns on anti-Asian bias and create a position within the Justice Department to review hate crimes efficiently.
The next step for the bill will be to pass through the House.
2. D.C. statehood passes through House of Representatives
On Thursday, through a narrow vote of 216-208, a bill that would make Washington D.C. the 51st state passed through the House of Representatives.
If passed, the bill will rename the capital from the District of Columbia to Washington, Douglas Commonwealth, named after abolitionist Fredrick Douglas. The bill would also provide citizens that currently live within Washington a House representative and two senators. Additionally, buildings such as the White House, the National Mall and Capitol Hill will remain under congressional control, the New York Times reports.
While Eleanor Holmes Norton currently serves as Washington’s House delegate, she is not permitted to vote on any legislation, and she strongly supports Washington statehood so that citizens can be fairly represented.
“This country was founded on the principles of ‘no taxation without representation’ and consent of the governed, but D.C. residents are taxed without representation and cannot consent to the laws under which they, as American citizens, must live,” Norton said in a New York Times article.
The bill will go to the Senate, but the Democrat-led bill is expected to face issues from Republicans who strongly oppose it, reports the NYT.
3. Lee Update to host auditions
On Monday, April 26, Lee Update will host auditions. Anyone with good verbal and writing skills is encouraged to apply and can do so by emailing a fall 2021 class schedule to leeupdate@leeuniversity.edu.
Lee Update serves as a morning announcement show, originally launched in 2009. Their team films the announcement videos shown in chapel. Students may participate as an anchor, writer or in other behind-the-scenes duties such as running teleprompter, cameras and audio.
