Self Determination for the District of Columbia

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is the nation's capital where over 600,000 American citizens live; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the District of Columbia are denied the right to vote in Congress; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the District of Columbia bear all of the obligations and responsibilities of citizenship by paying taxes, being drafted, fighting and dying in war, and serving on juries; and

WHEREAS, all legislation enacted by the Council of the District of Columbia must be submitted to the Congress for approval or change before it becomes law; and

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is prohibited from taxing the income of nonresidents who earn their living in the District of Columbia which narrows its tax base and creates a structural imbalance in its budget. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its 1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 resolutions calling for the full voting rights and STATEHOOD for the District of Columbia; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls on all of its Units to advocate to its members of Congress, both House and Senate to support full STATEHOOD rights for the District of Columbia.