More on the D.C. Crime Bill

The Federalist Society Criminal Law Practice Group has this teleforum Wednesday at 11:30 am ET / 8:30 am PT on The D.C. Crime Bill: What Happens Next? (See Michael Rushford’s post, earlier today.) The event features “an opening address from U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty [Tenn.], followed by a discussion of the bill and what may come next” led by Zack Smith of the Heritage Foundation.

There are two important points that I consider significant. First, although the movement to stop the bill was initially a Republican effort in the House, it has become a bipartisan effort in the Senate, and President Biden has indicated he will not veto it. This means that the growing awareness that so-called “criminal justice reform” has gone too far is not limited to one side of the political aisle.

Second, the incident confirms that the Founders were right to create a federal district under federal control. Crime control in the nation’s capital city is a matter of national interest. It cannot be trusted to a local city council. Admitting D.C. as a state is probably unconstitutional but certainly bad policy.

I understand that many D.C. residents feel they are disenfranchised by the city’s special status. That status has upsides as well as downsides. For those who feel that the downsides are excessive, the solution is quite simple. Move across the line. A great many people live in Virginia or Maryland and work in D.C. You can, too.