The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi
WAMU 88.5Join Kojo and resident analyst Tom Sherwood on Fridays at noon for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Each week Kojo and Tom help make sense of legislation, hold elected officials accountable and provide in-depth analysis of local issues and elections. The Politics Hour is also a vital forum for Washingtonians to engage directly with their local leaders.
Join Kojo and resident analyst Tom Sherwood on Fridays at noon for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Each week Kojo and Tom help make sense of legislation, hold elected officials accountable and provide in-depth analysis of local issues and elections. The Politics Hour is also a vital forum for Washingtonians to engage directly with their local leaders.
The Politics Hour: What’s next for Prince George’s County if the Washington Commanders leave?
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed repealing Initiative 82 earlier this week, reigniting the fight over D.C.'s tipped minimum wage law. But given that voters passed the measure twice, the mayor could have trouble getting support from the D.C. Council. Chairman Phil Mendelson got behind the mic to give his thoughts.
He said overturning Initiative 82 again is politically difficult for the council.
"I have to see where the members are going to be," Mendelson said. "And at the moment, I don't think the members are supporting repeal."
He said he still opposes I-82, but he is going to leave it to Mayor Bowser to take the lead in lobbying his council colleagues.
We also asked about the mayor's proposed deal with the Washington Commanders. The nearly $4 billion deal to build a new football complex as well a large area of development at the RFK stadium, with the city contributing just over a billion dollars. Mendelson has opposed taxpayer funding for such projects in the past. We asked what would sweeten the deal for him and skeptical council colleagues, who ultimately need to approve the deal.
If the agreement gets the green light, the Washington Commanders would depart their Prince George's County home. County leaders have long prepared for the possibility. Prince George's County Council President Edward Burroughs weighed in and tells us what options could be on the table for the site. Developers are already pitching county leaders on what's next.
"I have seen some of the proposals, some of their renderings, and they honestly look a lot better than the stadium, to be quite honest with you," Burroughs said. "And so it's, still in the early stages, but we look forward to working with them."
The Commanders have entered an agreement with Prince George's County to demolish the old stadium within 90 days of the team's first home game at the new site.
In addition, the county also looks likely to lose the new FBI headquarters. Also, we asked him why the closing of Six Flags in Bowie is a big deal, and how the county is planning to make up a $170 million budget shortfall.
Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.org
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885
Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org