The DC Council’s business actions may be factors in the larger race.

That dynamic has led to a push that could affect the upcoming general election, where candidates are vying for two at-large council seats — including the chair of the House Business Committee and the Labor Committee, two camps often at odds.

While labor and consumer advocates want to keep their profits, some business owners are hoping the next House will do more for them with laws that could reduce their insurance burden and other regulations.

Many DC area businesses have closed during the pandemic. It’s more open.

It’s been more than two years since the outbreak began for businesses in the district, especially those catering to the city’s tourists (who have been gone for months) and downtown office workers (most of whom have yet to return to their desks). ). Open storefronts dot downtown corridors. More than 1,000 businesses closed in the first half of 2020, even after license applications for new businesses began. The data shows that while more than 2,300 businesses left downtown D.C. between February 2020 and March 2022, suburban areas like Bethesda and Loudoun County fared much better at maintaining and attracting businesses.

Solomon Keane, head of the Washington Hotel Association, said while the pandemic has canceled vacation trips and conferences, hard-hit owners may not see the impact of the Hotel Housekeeping Act, which allows the mayor to set rules for how long hotel rooms must be occupied. cleaning, Another recent rule requires hotels to notify guests of “actual or potential disruptions in service,” including if the hotel workers’ union threatens labor action.

“We have very real competitors on our borders in Virginia and Maryland at National Harbor,” Keene said. “Really, this makes people think about the competitiveness of the district.”

Two council members opposed the housekeeping bill when it was passed in April — Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) said mass laundering of hotel sheets would harm the environment, and Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) said businesses could not. It should cover the cost of more housekeepers – while the rest of the council backed the move, many said it would benefit staff by allowing hotels to hire more people.

While offices are empty, downtown DC is looking for post-pandemic ID

Elissa Silverman (I-Alaj), a council labor advocate and candidate for the at-large race, rejected the idea that the council’s recent legislation would drive business out of the city.

“When we ban smoking in cities, [business owners] All the restaurants are going to Virginia, he said. did it happen No. D.C. has had one of the most thriving restaurant scenes of any city in the country,” Sillman said. “Then we added the minimum wage — again, the little boy who cried wolf. Again, ‘Everybody’s going to go to Maryland and Virginia.’ No, that didn’t happen.”

She said a similar assumption arose when she supported paid parental leave benefits for D.C. workers, which she believes have helped local businesses attract workers rather than hurt their bottom lines. “Workers in their 30s and 40s are asking about paid family leave. Now it is an important benefit for them. We hear that the sky is falling. The sky has not fallen.”

Silverman, who chairs the House Business Committee and is more business-friendly, is Kenya’s R. He is running for re-election against a large field that includes McDuffin (D-Ward 5). McDuffie did not respond to requests for comment.

The two council members are running against incumbent Democrat Anita Bonds, independents Fred Hill, Kareem Marshall and Graham McLaughlin, Republican Giuseppe Niocci and D.C. state Green Party candidate David Schwartzman in a race with the top two vote-getters.

DC will take the form of a general election vote

McLaughlin has been working on a pro-business platform. They criticized some of the council’s recent actions, including a bill that would have banned companies from signing up more workers. Non-compete agreements and hotel room-cleaning law. “Encouraging businesses to train team members – that’s what we’re looking for,” he said. The hotel bill is an example of action based on the demands of interest groups, not careful consideration of what is best for the city and its residents. We should allow businesses to decide the best way to run their businesses, not constantly try to meddle with the market.

Instead, they proposed loosening regulations such as removing licensing requirements for some professions, such as interior design, and allowing businesses to move forward on projects if they don’t receive timely responses from city regulatory agencies.

House Speaker Phil Mendelson (D) sees the “tension” between laws that protect workers and residents and laws that support businesses as a key challenge for the House going forward.

“The council has had some debate about finding the right balance. We need to take a hard look at other burdens we put on businesses,” Mendelson said, adding that his list of tasks over the summer includes looking at licensing costs the city can reduce and talking with others about prevention. Citing the recent example of a director who closed in Ivy City while waiting for a product in. The council needs to find ways to improve the business environment.

As the pandemic moves into its third year, D.C. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars expanding businesses and giving several rounds of donations to restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels and more.

“There’s been a tremendous contribution to DC’s business culture, and we’re very grateful for that. We couldn’t have come this far without him. It’s amazing,” said Kimberly Bender, executive director of the DC Brewers Association, which represents many local businesses.

DC had a plan to end chronic homelessness. Why doesn’t it work yet?

But even though grant money keeps breweries afloat, local laws sometimes hinder them, too. “In any challenging time, a small business can only survive as much as they do. ‘Pivot’ has been the buzzword for small businesses. If your hands are tied in so many ways, you don’t have many options.”

Dean Hunter, who leads the trade association for small rental landlords, said his organization has been organizing workshops for landlords looking to buy their next building in Baltimore or Richmond instead of D.C.

“The D.C. Council used the pandemic as an excuse to pass a series of anti-rental measures that would undermine landlords today. “Left activists have been able to use the pandemic as an excuse to push their agenda, and they’ve done it successfully,” Hunter said, citing landlord-tenant laws including stricter notices of how to evict for less than $600. Landlords notify tenants of evictions.

Business advocates have been lobbying the council throughout the pandemic. The back-and-forth between opposing attorneys, such as landlord and tenant groups, has led to some agreement on eviction laws that have changed frequently during the outbreak. Recently, a year after passing a blanket ban on non-compete agreements, the House voted again to switch to another, more narrowly tailored version of the bill under pressure from business owners.

Some are planning how to be more aggressive. Pushing back the tide of legislation. Hunter said he is encouraging property owners to run for advisory neighborhood councils, the lowest level of local government. The restaurant owners are discussing hiring David Catania, a former councilman who has become a local lobbyist, to advocate for legislation that would reduce their insurance burden, as he has demanded favorable provisions for the medical marijuana industry.

Complaints about high liquor liability insurance in the district date back decades; In the year In 1985, The Post cited a bar owner whose insurance increased from $185 to $26,500 when a D.C. jury found him more liable for accidents caused by his patrons than juries in Maryland or Virginia.

“This is something we should have dealt with a long time ago,” said neighborhood commissioner John Guggenheim, a restaurant owner and consultant who advocates for laws to reduce bar liability. He said the labor shortages and rising supply prices plaguing restaurants aren’t the city’s fault — indeed, city aid has helped restaurants survive those challenges — but accountability reform would help.

The judge said that the DC vaccination order for government employees is illegal

Guggenheim asked an insurer what it would cost to cover Logan Circle Bar Number Nine if it were located in Maryland and got less than a tenth of what it would have paid. “It will require legislative action to bring down parity with Virginia and Maryland.”

Lisa Dean, owner of a construction firm, believes DC requires a more expensive level of insurance for small firms like hers.

But as a lifelong resident, she finds the rewards outweigh the hassles. The city recently hired the company to renovate playgrounds at several recreation centers.

“It’s different when you look at the field you work in or what’s used. It is a good project that the residents of the city where they live are using,” she said. “When [the playing fields] Done, you should see the kids go outside and actually play on them.