On Wednesday, D.C. Councilmember and Georgetown alum David Catania (I-At Large)(SFS ‘90, LAW ‘94) spoke to a Voice reporter about his run for re-election, his recent work on same-sex marriage and medical marijuana legalization, and his time at Georgetown. Below is a full transcript of their conversation. Interview conducted and transcribed by Claire Wheeler.

Voice: What led you to first become involved in politics?

Catania: Where should I begin … I was active in my neighborhood before running for the Council. In the mid-1990s I was active in my former neighborhood, which was called Sheridan-Kalorama. I ran for the [Advisory Neighborhood Commission] in 1996 and was successful in that race and then the opportunity presented itself to run for the Council in a special election. Based on the work I had done as an adviser to the Neighborhood Commission and the view I held about the direction of the City, I decided if we wanted the City to improve, we would have to have a new generation of leadership with a different set of priorities then the generation that preceded me. So when the opportunity presented itself to run for the council in 1997, I decided to run.

V: Why did you decide to run for re-election in the council?

C: I think first and foremost, that I have chaired the Committee on Health since January 2005 and over the last five years I think we have made a lot of progress on improving the quality of healthcare in the district and access to healthcare. We are working to narrow certain health disparities that exist in the city, but there are still many challenges and a lot of work to do. I had hoped that we would have universal access to health insurance by 2010. It was a goal of mine. The economic meltdown in 2008 has really frustrated that goal, but I am still committed to it. The District enjoys one of the lowest rates of uninsured in the country, thanks in part to the work that I have started in the past few years on expanding our Medicare programs and expanding our Alliance programs. The district is in the top-tier in the Nation in terms of insured, but we still have, nonetheless, about eight percent of our population that is not insured, and I want to continue my work to bring that down to zero.

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D.C. Councilmember and Georgetown alum David Catania (I-At Large)(SFS ‘90, LAW ‘94) made headlines in 2009 as the man behind the District’s same-sex marriage legalization bill. But Catania, whose third term will end this year, has been keeping mum on whether or not he’ll run for re-election in November, leading some local politics fans to wonder whether the marriage equality victory might be his swan song.

It looks like the speculation can finally come to an end, though: Catania has told “several close supporters” to assume he’ll be running, according to Washington City Paper. City Paper and D.C. Wire also report that Catania will be making an official announcement in mid-January.

In addition to writing and championing the recently-passed same-sex marriage bill, Catania has spent much of his time on the Council working on health care and insurance issues. As of now there is only one challenger for Catania’s seat, Congress Heights minister and civic activist Anthony Motley.

Photo from Flickr user dbking, used under a Creative Commons license.

At right, David Catania

As things stand, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. says it will have no choice but to abandon its contracts with the City if the December 1 vote on the D.C. City Council’s proposed same-sex marriage law is successful.

The pulled contracts would have substantial consequences in D.C., as diocese-run “Catholic Charities,” currently serves 68,000 District residents and spends $10,000,000 on social services in the city annually in the District, and so City Council members are hurriedly seeking a compromise that will keep Catholic Charities in the City.

On Wednesday, Councilmembers Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and David A. Catina (I-At Large) (SFS ‘90, LAW ‘94), the Georgetown graduate who introduced the bill, sent a letter to the Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl asking the Church to adopt a policy like the one in effect at Georgetown that allows the University to provide medical coverage the same-sex partners of employees without recognizing their union.

The New York Times editorial board seconds the idea (which City Paper columnist and Voice alum Mike DeBonis wryly notes is probably “the first time a D.C. Council committee report has been quoted in the Gray Lady”).

Susan Gibbs, the spokesperson for the Archdiocese, has not responded to a request for comment, but she has told the Catholic News Agency and the Washington Post that she is “not confident” and “not sure the proposal alleviates the Church’s concerns.”

An explanation of Georgetown’s policy, after the jump

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D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), whose ward includes Georgetown, had Jack Evans bobbleheads made for some reason using campaign money.

WTOP’s Mark Segraves reports that Evans spent $2,000 of his campaign money on 100 bobbleheads. Segraves notes that Little Jack has more hair and fewer wrinkles than his living counterpart.

Since the bobbleheads were bought with campaign funds, Evans’s opponent in the 2008 election Cary Silverman wasn’t pleased:

I’m confused. According to DC law, surplus campaign funds must, within 6 months of an election, be: (1) donated to a political party; (2) used to retire campaign debts; (3) returned to donors; or (4) transferred to an authorized constituent services fund. I missed (5) used to purchase bobbleheads with the Councilmember’s likeness.

Photo by Mark Segraves/WTOP

These are tough times for D.C. smokers.  Just as the tax on cigarettes is getting bumped up by 50 cents, bringing the total tax per pack up to $2.50, the D.C. Council is putting sidewalk smoking and cheap cigars in the crosshairs.

D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D—At Large) recently proposed a bill that would allow business owners to ban smoking within 25 feet of the door to their establishment—including sidewalks.  Mendelson’s bill would also make it a crime for anyone under 18 to possess tobacco.

The Council is also considering a ban on cheap cigars, which are often used for less-than-legal purposes. The ban would not apply to the five D.C. stores that sell “high-end” cigars, according to the Washington Post, just stores that sell single cigars for $5 or less.

D.C. Councilmember and Georgetown double alumni David Catania (I-At Large)(SFS ‘90, LAW ‘94) is planning to introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District next Tuesday, according to the Washington Post.

The bill, “The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009,” is being co-sponsored by ten of the D.C. Council’s 13 members, and Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) has pledged to sign the bill, so it is all but guaranteed to pass.

According to the Post, the bill will change the city code to state that “any person … may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender.”

Rumors have floated around about Catania introducing a same-sex marriage bill since last year.  In May, the D.C. Council nearly unanimously passed a bill that recognized same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Catania, who is openly gay, announced his intention to introduce the bill at the Council’s Tuesday meeting at a gathering of 150 gay rights activists, saying, “We are going to do it now.  We are going to do it now, not for ourselves, but for the young people who are 20 years-old, 16-years-old, 13-years-old.”

Photo from Flickr user krossbow, used under a Creative Commons license.

The D.C. Board of Elections ruled that the newly passed law recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states is not subject to a referendum vote. The board ruled that if a referendum were allowed on the issue, they would be “authorizing discrimination.” Gay marriage opponents who had been fighting for the referendum immediately filed a lawsuit with the D.C. Superior Court. They’ve also asked the judge to “stop the clock” to prevent the new law from coming into effect on July 6.

The D.C. Council debated two competing anti-crime bills. The more hard-line bill, backed by Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) and Georgetown’s Councilmember Jack Evans (D—Ward 2) included a “civil gangs injunction” that raised civil rights and racial profiling concerns. The other bill, backed by Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D—At Large) was pretty similar but more ACLU-friendly and ultimately won out.

The hearing for Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James von Brunn was delayed due to his medical condition (he was shot in the face during his attack). It was also revealed that in addition to being a white supremacist, von Brunn was also into child pornography. The D.C. Council also passed a resolution urging prosecutors to charge von Brunn with violating the city’s hate crime statue in addition to his federal charges.

After the jump: Michelle Rhee reaches the terrible twos, D.C. Voting Rights foe gets a nice helping of karma, and more!

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Last night, Daily Show host Jon Stewart took D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry (D—Ward 8 ) to task for claiming that his decision to cast the sole vote against recognizing same-sex marriages performed in different states was made because he is a “politician who is moral.” To Barry’s credit, it takes a lot of, uh, chutzpah to brag about your “moral compass” when your national reputation is based on a grainy video of you doing cocaine in a motel room…

13/13 12/13 D.C. Council members support gay marriage!

The D.C. Council’s final vote on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states (first voted on in early April) went remarkably smoothly, passing 13-0… until Ward 8 Councilmember and former “Mayor-for-life” Marion Barry (D) realized what he was voting on. The confused Councilmember, who had pledged to Christian groups that he would vote against recognizing same-sex marriage, then requested a reconsideration of the bill.

The ensuing debate, which City Paper’s Mike Debonis chronicled, was rather personal since two Councilmembers, David Catania (I—At Large) and Jim Graham (D—Ward 1) are gay. Catania said “[Barry's] position is bigoted” and Graham said he respects Barry’s civil rights record but “We part ways today on this issue” and that “There is not enough love in this world today.”

While Catania, Graham and their allies couldn’t convince Barry to change his position, the vote ultimately came down to a resounding 12-1 in favor. Not unanimous, true, but still a nice victory for the gay rights movement.

Photo from Flickr user bobster855, used under a Creative Commons license.

Jinx proof, perhaps, but not Brazil-proof

Back in October, former D.C. Councilmember Harold Brazil was arrested for assault at Jinx Proof Tattoo parlor on M. Street. Today, the judge in his case issued a verdict in the case: guilty. Brazil was issued a 30-day suspended sentence and six months of unsupervised probation, according to City Paper.

But more interesting than the verdict are the details that emerged during the case:

• In addition to punching an employee of the shop in the back of the head, Brazil also urinated in the shop.
• According to Brazil’s lawyer, the Brazil was provoked when the shopkeeper yelled, “Fuck you, nigger.” (The shopkeeper, Francis Peyton, said he yelled, “Fuck you, man.”)
• Brazil’s reaction to the verdict? “Not only can they indict a ham sandwich, they can convict a ham sandwich … If you want to indict somebody, indict this criminal justice system that does this to people.”

For more about the incident, check out City Paper’s awesome coverage.

Photo from Flickr user T____13.