LINCOLN- Two Nebraska lawmakers are pushing to make Washington D.C. the nation's 51st state. LR146 introduced by Lincoln State Sens. Danielle Conrad and George Dungan, would urge Nebraska’s congressional delegation to support statehood for the nation’s capital if passed by the full Legislature. This would be a non-binding encouragement to U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts.

Conrad said she is pushing for the motion to increase democracy and equality. “I think that each state has a part to play, as do our federal representatives to try and correct a historic wrong in regards to the legal status of the residents in our nation’s capital,” said Conrad. Washington D.C. only has one non-voting delegate in the House and no representation in the Senate.

The U.S. House has passed two historic resolutions in support of D.C. statehood, for the first time in June 2020 and again in April 2021. Bacon and former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry voted against both, while Smith voted against it in 2020 but did not vote on the 2021 resolution. A vote has not been held under Flood's time in office and has never made it to the Senate for Fischer or Ricketts.

For the full article click HERE