Could DC become the 51st state?

Statehood presents a more grand proposition for DC. Proponents of statehood, who include DC's Statehood Green Party feel the District is entitled to self-government and autonomy from the federal government. Others have gone as far as proposing that DC should take back Arlington and add Northern Virignia to make "New Columbia" five million strong. There are merits to the statehood pursuit, as even Congressional voting rights cannot save DC from a revolving door of legislators with their own unique visions for DC.

Statehood would provide true home rule and a bonafide local authority, and it's one way to guarantee all rights for District residents beyond voting rights. Legislation or an amendment would maintain Congressional governance over the District, while statehood (and retrocession) would give District citizens the same state and local rights afforded to all other US citizens. Statehood is also permanent and requires less approval than an amendment: if DC citizens call a Constitutional Convention and pass a Constitution, only a majority of Congress is required.

Statehood, while a powerful option, has grown less popular than other approaches. (See, e.g., this 1999 poll.) The movement had a historical peak when Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a statehood bill in 1987, saying DC's lack of voting rights "makes a mockery" of America's democratic principles. Two and half years later, president George H. W. Bush declared himself "unsympathetic" to the cause of DC statehood, calling DC a "federal city" and wrongly citing that most of DC's funds came from the federal government.

In fact, 86% of DC's operating budget comes from local taxes and fees, while only 14% comes from the fed. Yet budgeting for the District is tricky. About 60% of income earned in the District can't be taxed, as is earned by non-residents. Moreover, the federal government pays no taxes on the considerable land it holds in the District, and DC's budget is still susceptible to Congressional takeover at any time. These kind of political-financial tangles make statehood an attractive option.