Moves on the Board: Week of Jan 6–10, 2025
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is back in session, and Mayor Parker has opened Riverview Wellness Village.
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Mayor Parker visited the State Capitol on Tuesday, January 7, to mark the beginning of the 2025-2026 legislative session. Fulfilling a priority campaign pledge, on Wednesday, January 8, the Parker administration opened Riverview Wellness Village in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia. Riverview will add 300 beds to the system for people experiencing addiction and homelessness. Residents of Riverview will have access to healthcare, social services, and workforce development opportunities.
Mayor Parker and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier joined Bellevue client Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia on Thursday, January 9, to honor President Jimmy Carter's life and his legacy of service.
Mayor Parker with Habitat for Humanity to honor the life and legacy of President Carter.
Before the holidays, Mayor Parker announced the appointment of Dr. Raval-Nelson as the city’s Health Commissioner. Dr. Raval-Nelson was elevated from her previous position as Deputy Health Commissioner to Commissioner of the Health Department on December 23, 2024.
Philadelphia City Council
The Tax Reform Commission held a public hearing on Thursday, January 9 bringing together 25 witnesses representing a broad range of stakeholders to discuss several local taxes including wage, parking, beverage, and Business Income & Receipts Tax (BIRT).
Taxes
Many participants, including the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, called for reductions in the BIRT and wage taxes to alleviate the tax burden on businesses and employees. They highlighted that the City’s general fund balance for FY2024 was over $900 million dollars. Further, they stated that Philadelphia, over the past 12 years, has had annual revenue growth of approximately 1.5% and that the City can reduce taxes without impacting services.
Some members of the Advisory Committee to the Tax Reform Commission raised concerns that tax reductions may lead to less funds and possibly a reduction in services for city residents.
Representatives from the parking industry emphasized the need to reduce the impact of the use and occupancy tax on their industry. Philadelphia’s parking rates are higher than New York, LA, DC, and Boston. Due to these costs and development, they also predicted an additional reduction in parking spaces which could lead to higher parking rates.
Soda industry representatives including the Teamsters, Pepsi-Cola, and local grocer and former mayoral candidate, Jeff Brown, argued that the beverage tax is incentivizing residents to shop outside Philadelphia, negatively impacting local businesses. Some representatives advocated for annual study of the soda tax while others are asking for a repeal of this legislation.
Additional Issues Discussed
Courtney Richardson, Executive Director of the House Appropriations Committee chaired by Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia), called to increase the statewide minimum wage.
Former Tax Reform Commissioner Jonathan Stein and Dr. Nikia Owens, CEO of the Campaign for Working Families and emphasized a continued legislative effort to amend the Philadelphia Code to expand eligibility for the wage tax refund program. This change would align city guidelines with state standards and allow more residents to benefit
City Council will return to voting legislative session the week of January 20th.
📜 Legislation We’re Watching
Bill No. 240665, which would prohibit mobile crisis units from providing services in residential sections of Kensington, will be held until 2025 as Council, the Parker administration, and stakeholders weigh in on amendments to the legislation.
NEXT WEEK’S MOVES
There are no hearings scheduled for next week.
Coming Up: The Special Committee on Kensington will hold a hearing on January 21 at 10 AM. The hearing will investigate the processes and effectiveness of the current and past diversion programs concerning individuals suffering from substance use disorder in the Kensington area. As a local leader in public health, Bellevue client Public Health Management Corporation will provide written testimony for the hearing.
🗓️ City Council will return to session on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Add it to your calendar.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
Earlier this week the Shapiro administration kicked off the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show. Governor Shapiro and Secretary Russell Redding held a press conference to address his administration’s continued investment in the agriculture industry. On Monday, January 6, the Department of Agriculture announced a $500,000 grant for students preparing to enter the agriculture industry.
You’ve likely seen a lot of news about the US Steel and Nippon Steel deal. Feeling out of the loop? If you haven’t been able to keep up with the ever-changing news, Bellevue Strategies has you covered with a quick recap of the U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel lawsuit—perfect for keeping up with this weekend’s party chatter! Click here to get the scoop by Bellevue’s own Julie Platt.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly were sworn in on Tuesday, January 7. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) was re-elected as Speaker of the House, while Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) was re-elected as President Pro Tempore of the Senate continuing their historic tenure as the two highest-ranking women leaders ever in Pennsylvania. Two newly elected officials representing Philadelphia, Senator Joe Picozzi and Rep. Sean Dougherty, took the oath of office.
Leadership: The House and Senate finalized their leadership rosters for the 2025-2026 session. Senator Wayne Langerholc was elected Majority Whip, replacing Senator Ryan Aument who took a new role as the State Director for US Senator Dave McCormick.
Rules: Both chambers passed their Rules package creating three new committees in the House and one new committee in the Senate. State Rep. Matthew Gergley (D-Allegheny) is recovering from a health emergency, and his absence has narrowed the House Democrats’ majority from 102 to 10. Given this slim majority, House legislative leaders negotiated legislative rules that give Republicans an additional member on each standing committee along with other procedural changes to how legislation moves through the chamber. At the same time, Democrats retain power as the majority party.
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.
Senate: The Senate added one new committee, Institutional Stability. Senate Committee Chairs are still being finalized and will be updated shortly.
Caucus Updates: Representative Napoleon Nelson (D-Montgomery) was re-elected as Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.
Local Delegation News: Representative Morgan Cephas was re-elected as Chair of the Philadelphia House Delegation, and Senator Nikil Saval was re-elected as Chair of the Philadelphia Senate Delegation. Additionally, Representative Jen O’Mara was re-elected as Chair of the Southeast Delegation.
NEXT WEEK’S MOVES
On Tuesday, January 14, House Democrats will announce their 2025 legislative agenda.
🗓️ Coming Up: The General Assembly will be back in session the week of January 27. Add it to your calendar.
🗓️ Far Out: Governor Josh Shapiro will deliver his budget address on Tuesday, February 4 at 12:30 PM. Add to Google Calendar