Pennsylvania Ave. Could Get Caught in Voting Rights Fight

Unconstitutional Avenue. No Vote Street. Statehood Way. Those are just some of the suggestions Washington residents have for renaming Pennsylvania Avenue, the most recognizable street in the nation's capital and the address of the White House.

The idea behind renaming the street, or at least part of it, is to draw attention to the fact that the city's some 600,000 residents do not have a vote in Congress.

"Our city hosts streets named after all the states in the country, yet the residents of those very streets are denied the full democratic rights that Statehood offers," said at-large D.C. Councilman Michael Brown. "Let this potential renaming be a reminder to all those who visit the District of the rights still lacking in the nation's capital."

No one would actually take down any street signs if city officials agree on a new name, but ceremonial street designation signs would go up under the current Pennsylvania Avenue signs.

D.C. officials held a meeting Thursday evening to discuss the name.

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