FentyFile: Mayor Fenty's E-Newsletter || April 2007

In this Issue Moving Forward: Mayor's Education Transition Strategy Voting Rights Movement Marches On DC DMV is On the Move Tai Shan Stays in the District Protecting Gender Identity and Expression

	Moving Forward: Mayor's Education Transition Strategy Mayor Fenty's education reform plan, which he signed into law April 23, awaits final approval by the United States Congress. In the meantime, the Mayor has announced a series of steps to prepare for transferring authority over the schools to his office. The process will be similar to the work of the Fenty Transition that preceded the Mayor’s oath of office in early January. Read more.

	Voting Rights Movement Marches On Thousands of District residents joined Mayor Fenty and other elected officials April 16 for a march to Capitol Hill to demand voting representation in Congress. "We are not truly free," the Mayor told the assembled crowd on DC Emancipation Day, because the District has been disenfranchised for more than 200 years. Later that week, the United States House passed a bill giving the District of Columbia its first voting seat in that body. The bill is now pending in the Senate. Read more.

	DC DMV is On the Move The Department of Motor Vehicles has finished two years of renovating the former United Way building at 95 M Street, SW. The long awaited opening of the DMV Southwest Service Center, located at 95 M Street, SW, is now a reality. DC DMV has opened the new Service Center location April 30, 2007 and closed the 301 C Street, NW Service Center April 28. The new location is just around the corner from the DMV Inspection Station. Read more.

	Tai Shan Stays in the District Tai Shan, the world's best-known nonhuman native Washingtonian, is staying for two more years. The Giant Panda was born at the National Zoo in 2005 and scheduled to go to China this summer. Recognizing the bamboo-eating bear's enormous appeal in the District, the Chinese government has agreed to extend Tai Shan's stay. Mayor Fenty proclaimed April 24 "Panda Day" in the District of Columbia. Read more.

	Protecting Gender Identity and Expression Did you know gender identity and expression are now protected under the DC Human Rights Act? The DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) is working with the Mayor’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Affairs and advocacy groups to distribute a new fact sheet summarizing the requirements of the Gender Identity and Expression protection. This information was developed to spread awareness of the new protected category. Read more.

©2007 Government of the District of Columbia
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