The Nation : Plan for Homeless Voided

A court ruled invalid a District of Columbia ballot initiative intended to guarantee shelter for the homeless. Superior Court Judge Annice Wagner said the measure, passed by a wide margin last fall, dictated the appropriation of funds, a power reserved to the district city council and Congress. “Judge Wagner’s decision is extremely important because it recognizes that initiatives which impose an open-ended financial obligation on the district are invalid,” D. C. Mayor Marion Barry Jr. said in a statement.