Council to Vote Today After Candidate's Attempt at Delay Fails

Mayor Adrian Fenty finds his way out after delivering his State of the District Address to a group of seniors at the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center in Southeast on Wednesday. (Ricky Carioti - The Washington Post)

The D.C. Council will take an initial vote today on whether to give Mayor Adrian M. Fenty control of the District's public school system, after fighting off a council candidate's last-minute attempt to postpone the vote yesterday.

Lisa Comfort Bradford, who is running for the Ward 4 council seat in a special election May 1, requested a temporary injunction against the council vote in D.C. Superior Court. She said the takeover decision should be delayed until wards 4 and 7 have council members.

Fenty (D) vacated the Ward 4 position when he took office in January, and council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) left the Ward 7 seat to take his new post. The terms for their council seats end in January 2009.

Senior Judge Bruce S. Mencher denied Bradford's request, agreeing with the council's attorney, who contended that any court action would be premature because the law had not been passed.

The court, the judge added, should not intervene because the matter is a "political question" best left to the council. He noted that the council's four at-large members could represent the interests of residents of wards 4 and 7.

With the brief court matter resolved, Gray said he was preparing for an unusually long council session today. "Bring your breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said.

The council will meet in committee today and then take the first of two votes on the schools measure. A final vote could come in May.

Council members pushed various amendments yesterday and shot down rumors that the changes threatened passage of the schools legislation. "It's not in trouble," said first-term council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). "Maybe this happens on the eve of a big vote. I don't know. I've never done this before."

Although Fenty's education plan has had the highest profile, the council is also scheduled to vote on whether to require preteen girls to be immunized against human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer, before sixth grade.

In recent months, several jurisdictions throughout the country have considered similar legislation that has been met with criticism from several fronts. Parents and conservative groups have questioned giving a new vaccine to such young girls to prevent a sexually transmitted virus. The D.C. legislation would allow parents to opt out of the requirement.

The council also will consider borrowing $50 million to give to Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin for Verizon Center renovations.

Also on the agenda today are votes on the confirmations of Acting Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, the first woman in the post, and Acting Attorney General Linda Singer, who has been criticized for firing and demoting respected senior staff in her office.

A majority of candidates for the Ward 4 council seat say they oppose the education plan or want a delay or public referendum. Candidate Muriel Bowser, who has been endorsed by Fenty, was the only candidate at a forum last month who said she supported the plan.

Bradford, a mother of two school-age children who are not in public school, said she did not file the injunction to get publicity to stand out among the 19 candidates. "It's an effort for me to fight for the voting rights of our democratic process," she said.

If the council votes affirmatively today, she could file for a preliminary injunction to delay the council's final vote. Mencher scheduled a hearing for 11 a.m. Friday to accommodate Bradford if she files for a second injunction.