Noise Bill Passes

The noise bill has passed its initial test on the D.C. Council.

After well over an hour of contentious debate, the bill was amended by At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, who proposed a compromise that would put an 80 decibel cap on downtown amplified speech in addition to a 70 decibel cap on residential amplified speech.

The count:

Eight Fer it: Cheh, Wells, Alexander, Barry, Brown, Schwartz, Catania, Gray

Five Agin it: Graham, Evans, Bowser, Thomas, Mendelson

See you next month for second reading!

UPDATE, 5:20 P.M.: Also should be noted: Brown’s amendment allows protests to be as loud as 10 decibels above ambient noise, in both residential and commercial areas. In other words, if you’re demonstrating on a downtown street where it’s already 85 decibels, you can legally go up to 95 decibels.