Moves on the Board: Week of Jan 13-17, 2025
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
The Parker administration held a press conference on Monday, January 13 to announce the deal between Comcast Spectacor and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment to construct a new arena in South Philadelphia, nullifying the 76Place arena development on East Market Street. Details of the new agreement have not been publicly shared. However, Mayor Parker underscored the community benefits agreement’s continued commitment of $20 million for affordable housing in Chinatown.
Congratulations to our client, OIC, for being named Employer of Choice Awardee by the City. This award recognizes Philadelphia employers who are committed to mission-focused workforce development.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel had a lengthy conversation with WHYY’s Studio 2 reflecting on his first year as leader of the Philadelphia Police Department. Commissioner Bethel discussed the drop in homicides and the future of public safety in Philadelphia, emphasizing that the Police Department is in the process of solidifying successful crime-mitigation strategies. He highlighted the department’s increased use of data technology and frequent communication with police captains, federal partners, and public transit authorities.
Philadelphia City Council
City Council did not meet in voting session this week. The Chief Clerk circulated notices for hearings next week.
📜 Legislation We’re Watching
The 76Place legislative package passed in December 2024, which included the formerly negotiated community benefits agreement (CBA) is moot. A new CBA will have to be negotiated for the future development in the Stadium District.
However, City Council passed Bill No. 241062 outside of the 76Place legislative package creating a Chinatown Overlay District to protect Chinatown as future developments are proffered. Additionally, on the last day of the 2024 voting session, Councilmember Nina Ahmad introduced Bill No. 241132 to establish a Chinatown Land Trust. This legislation was referred to committee.
NEXT WEEK’S MOVES
City Council is back in voting session Thursday, January 23.
Coming Up
The Special Committee on Kensington meeting on Tuesday, January 21, is being rescheduled.
The Committee on Law & Government will meet on Wednesday, January 22 to hear Bill No. 241090 to explore Philadelphia’s readiness to protect marginalized communities ahead of President-Elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration on Monday, January 20.
The Committee on Legislative Oversight will hear Bill No. 240983 on Wednesday, January 22, and receive the report of the PHL Gaming Taskforce. The hearing will examine the gaming and technology sectors in Philadelphia.
🗓️ City Council will return to session on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Add it to your calendar.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
This week, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announced funding awards for three of their community violence intervention grants, including Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP), Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST), and Coordinated Community Violence Intervention (CCVI). The BOOST program is a new initiative that was funded through the FY24-25 Commonwealth Budget.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The PA Schools Work Coalition rallied in Harrisburg on Tuesday, January 14, calling on legislators to close the funding gap and invest in education in this year’s budget. Meanwhile, House Democrats rescheduled their legislative agenda announcement for a later date.
Committee News:
House: Pennsylvania House members have begun introducing legislation that is being referred to committees. Committee meetings are being scheduled for late January and early February. Click here to check out the calendar.
Senate: Senate leadership added one new committee, Institutional Stability & Innovation. The new committee will consider legislation that provides oversight into the financial sustainability of institutions throughout the Commonwealth and identify opportunities to support economic growth for emerging industries.
All Senate committees Chairs & Vice chairs have been finalized. Click here to download the image below to save it for future reference.
Click here to save Bellevue’s House & Senate Leadership one-pagers.
Committee News: Legislative activity will ramp up over the next few weeks as lawmakers circulate legislation and the first committee meetings of the session are scheduled.
House: The House has three new committees: Communications & Technology; Energy; and Intergovernmental Affairs & Operations. The House announced its Committee Chairs for the legislative session. A visual breakdown of these chairs is included.
Caucus Updates: This week, legislators launched a bipartisan Competitiveness Caucus. This caucus will work to strengthen economic competitiveness in the Commonwealth. The Competitiveness Caucus will be chaired by Rep. Joshua Kail (R-Beaver) and Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester) in the House and Senator Kristin Phillips Hill (R-Lancaster) and Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton). The caucus will hold a press conference to outline their agenda in two weeks.
NEXT WEEK’S MOVES
Auditor General Tim DeFoor will be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, January 21.
🗓️ Coming Up: The General Assembly will be back in session the week of January 27. Add it to your calendar.
🗓️ On the Horizon: Governor Josh Shapiro will deliver his budget address on Tuesday, February 4 at 12:30 PM. Add to Google Calendar
Appropriations Hearings focusing on his proposed budget will begin Tuesday, February 18th, 2025.