Gun Impasse Locks D.C. Vote in Uncertainty - Roll Call

Gun Impasse Locks D.C. Vote in Uncertainty - Roll Call: "One year ago, the District seemed on the verge of getting its first-ever voting Representative, thanks to a strong Democratic majority in both chambers, a supportive president and a resurgence of motivation among Congressional leaders.

But as the second session begins, the D.C. House Voting Rights Act is exactly where it was 10 months ago: held hostage by a poison-pill amendment that would force Washington, D.C., to repeal many of its restrictions on gun ownership.

Voting rights advocates agree that the legislation needs to pass this year or it risks disappearing altogether.

The bill passed the Senate in February, gaining the needed support of some Republicans because of a provision that gives Utah an extra House seat. But the Republican-leaning state is expected to get that seat in the 2010 Census, leaving Democrats with a quickly depreciating bargaining chip.

“The Utah seat is important,” conceded Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote. “We are very aware of the need to act as quickly as we can so that we can enact a law that fulfills the vision all of us had.”"