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A controversial vote against loosening virtual meeting participation rules for Prince George’s County Council members made in the weeks before council member Krystal Oriadha (D-District 7) goes on maternity leave will get another look, after public outcry.
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In a committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday, at-large council members Mel Franklin (D) and Calvin S. Hawkins II (D) flipped their votes to support the resolution they previously opposed, providing the eight votes needed for it to be presented before the council. The meeting marked the first opportunity for the council to revisit the initial rejection on Sept. 12, which drew condemnation from labor rights groups, public officials and county residents.
On the dais, Franklin said that his switch was rooted in unity and support so that, moving forward, the council can have the most impact. Hawkins, who had accused Oriadha of painting herself as “the victim” during the initial vote, directly apologized to her and community members for his previous remarks, which he said were not “reflective of my respect and appreciation and admiration for all women, including of my wife, my daughter, family members, friends and neighbors, especially council women.”
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“I’m sincerely committed to taking full responsibility and engaging in healthy and effective dialogue and debate to make sure that I hear and respect the voices of the council and the community to ensure the passing of legislation that meets the vision expectations and needs of Prince George’s County,” he said, to utterances of “thank you” and praise from people who had come to voice their support for the resolution.
Other members of the all-Democrat council, Wanika Fisher (District 2), Sydney J. Harrison (District 9) and Ingrid S. Watson (District 4) abstained from voting.
Shortly after the vote, Oriadha told The Washington Post she had anticipated Franklin and Hawkins would change their stances after personally coming to her to apologize for their handling of the measure. The resolution would permit council members to vote virtually if they are experiencing illness, parental leave or “a significant or unexpected factor or event” outside of the council member’s control. While the pandemic upended expectations about virtual participation, resulting in legal challenges, many localities, such as neighboring Montgomery, allow for it in certain circumstances.
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Oriadha, who is the first pregnant person to hold a council seat, said she was let down by her colleagues who abstained over something she said should have never been “a political debate.”
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“It’s just hard for me to imagine, just as a woman, abstaining on an issue like this,” Oriadha said. “For two women, one that’s had a child and one that might one day decide to — that to not see that as a reasonable accommodation is sad.”
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Fisher said in an interview after the vote that she abstained because she still has the same reservations about the resolution that she did from the beginning. Fisher pointed to the lack of addressing undue influence or who might be in the room when someone votes, and a paltry amount of “guard rails” in the document.
“I think I’m excited for everyone to have an avenue to serve, but I think there are real public policy concerns. And being one of the only attorneys up there, I take that really, really seriously in every bill that I read,” Fisher said.
Harrison said his abstention was about accessibility that’s not available to county residents.
“We still have the same requirement to have people come sign up to testify to leave their home and not offer that same accommodation to the public,” Harrison said. “I had a problem with that.”
Oriadha hopes the resolution is brought up in next week’s council meeting, so she will have the opportunity to secure her ability to vote while out on leave.
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