Unchecked School Growth Jeopardizes Stability of Neighborhood School Budgets
By Qubilah Huddleston, Michael Johnson Jr. and Claire Goldberg • March 8, 2023 • Early Child & Pre-K to 12 Education
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To Stabilize Student Enrollment, DC Should Reject Plans to Open New Citywide Schools
By Michael Johnson Jr. • March 1, 2023 • Early Child & Pre-K to 12 Education / Revenue & Budget
Stabilize enrollment in neighborhood schools—which are important community institutions—by rejecting plans to open new citywide schools.
Police Budget Remains Flat Despite Big Investments in Officer Recruitment and Retention
By Michael Johnson Jr. • August 29, 2022 • Inclusive Economy
DC’s approved police budget is remaining relatively flat, on net and when accounting for inflation, despite the Mayor and DC Council enacting significant investments to expand the police force.
DC Council Should Mandate Greater Transparency in the Police Budget
By Michael Johnson Jr. • May 9, 2022
At tomorrow’s preliminary vote on the fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget, DC Council is expected to take up the MPD Budget and Staffing Transparency Budget Support Act Amendment.
Testimony at the Public Hearing on the Clean Hands Certification Equity Amendment Act of 2021
By Michael Johnson Jr. • April 18, 2022 • Inclusive Economy
Since 2001, the Clean Hands law has disproportionately prevented Washingtonian’s with low incomes from renewing their drivers, occupational, or business licenses due to any fees, fines, or taxes owed to the DC government totaling $100 or more.
New DC Public Schools Budget Model Makes Progress Towards More Transparency and Flexibility, but Falls Short on Addressing Structural Funding Inadequacy and Inequity
By Qubilah Huddleston and Michael Johnson Jr. • March 14, 2022 • Early Child & Pre-K to 12 Education / Revenue & Budget
More than half of the schools within DC Public Schools (DCPS) have fiscal year (FY) 2023 initial budgets that are lower than their FY 2022 budgets that were boosted by federal funds. Additionally, 73 schools have initial FY 2023 budgets that would not keep up […]
Testimony at the Performance Oversight Hearing for of the DC Education Agencies on Improving Transparency of the DCPS Enrollment Reserve
By Michael Johnson Jr. • March 2, 2022 • Early Child & Pre-K to 12 Education
This testimony focuses specifically on improving transparency of the DC Public School (DCPS) Enrollment Reserve.
Testimony at the Public Hearing on the Comprehensive Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Act of 2021 and the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2021
By Michael Johnson Jr. • November 19, 2021 • Inclusive Economy / Jobs & Training
The comprehensive bill is a crucial first step toward repairing the harms caused by decades of unjust cannabis criminalization and enforcement—particularly for DC’s Black residents. However, there are several components of this bill that should be […]
Comments on the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Discussion Draft
By Michael Johnson Jr. and Doni Crawford • August 31, 2021 • Inclusive Economy / Jobs & Training
While there are components of the discussion draft that DCFPI supports—most notably the removal of cannabis as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which should allow DC to move forward with recreational cannabis sales and […]
