Legislative Updates: A Weekly Roundup of Federal, State, and Local Actions – December 2

Your Chamber advocacy team is working to share legislative updates and continue to advocate for your business in Washington, D.C., Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. We’ve created a round-up of recent activity including Key Takeaways for Your Business and a Detailed Legislative Update. This represents our best knowledge of the situation as of 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Chamber members are invited to join weekly legislative update calls hosted by our Advocacy team to hear the latest legislative matters concerning our community.

To learn more about how our region is preparing for recovery, visit our Recharge & Recover PHL Information Hub:

On Monday, November 28, 2022, the four new Councilmembers – Jim Harrity, Quetcy Lozada, Anthony Phillips, and Sharon Vaughn were sworn in.  

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Helen Gym resigned to run in the 2023 Mayoral race. City Council currently has 16 members, one member short of a full body. 

Several speakers at the Thursday, December 1, 2022, Council session lauded City Council and the Kenney Administration for investing in education, parks and recreation, and cultural institutions via the city's mid-year transfer ordinance, Bill 220869.  

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, the City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention will hold a hearing to address Philadelphia's enduring plague of gun violence by facilitating coordination among stakeholders and formulating a comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy. 

The Chamber's issue-based advocacy, in partnership with the Inclusive Growth Coalition, and efforts around the upcoming Council and Mayoral elections, was featured in a recent article in the Philadelphia Business Journal. To read the article, please visit The Business of Competing in City Hall. 

Join the Chamber on Thursday, December 8, 2022, for our in-person City Council Reception, on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, for our hybrid Fueling our Energy Future: Positioning Greater Philadelphia as a Regional Hydrogen Hub program, and on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, for our in-person Mayoral Luncheon. 

Both Parties Call for Special Election
On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler issued a writ of election setting Tuesday, February 7, 2023, as the date for a special election to fill the Allegheny County seat of the late Democratic Rep. Tony DeLuca during the last day of the 2021-22 legislative session.   

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton said that she would issue her own election writ for DeLuca's seat in her capacity as Majority Leader and Acting Speaker when the new 2022-23 session starts.  

Who wins the special election will determine who is the majority party this coming session.   

Sen. Gordner to Join President Pro Tem Office
On Monday, November 20, 2022, Republican Pennsylvania Sen. John Gordner announced his resignation with two years left in his term. The senator will serve as counsel for the new Senate President Pro Tem, Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland. Sen. Gordner has been the majority whip in the state Senate.  

State Authority OK's Plan to Close Digital Divide
A new statewide broadband plan outlines several actions that can be taken to expand broadband access in Pennsylvania. It outlines steps that state and local governments, the broadband industry, private companies, and community institutions can take to make broadband accessible to all Pennsylvanians.    

Krasner Impeachment Process Begins
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the state Senate returned to the Capitol to prepare for the January impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The Senate plans to begin the trial on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.   

Shapiro Transition Team Announced
In late November 2022, the Shapiro-Davis Transition announced its Leadership Board and Personnel Committee – consisting of key leadership groups who will advise the Governor-Elect during the transition. Governor-Elect Shapiro's top priorities include growing our economy, making our communities safer, and ensuring all Pennsylvania students receive a high-quality education. See the detailed report for a complete list of participants.  

Join the Chamber Tuesday, December 6, 2022, for our virtual Advancing Pennsylvania's Regional Economy program and on Monday, December 19, 2022, for our virtual State Advocacy Update with Rep. Cutler and Rep. Bradford.     

The 2023 House legislative calendar was released by House Republicans this week. 

House Republicans voted this week in their conference meeting to keep "congressionally directed spending" available in the next Congress. The legislative practice is better known as "earmarks."  

Congressional leaders are running out of time to address several important legislative measures in a lame duck session, including a spending bill, freight rail labor strike, defense authorization bill, and tax extension package.  

Join the Chamber on Friday, January 13, 2023, for our in-person Economic Outlook. 

City Council Stated Meeting
On Monday, November 28, 2022, the four new Councilmembers – Jim Harrity, Quetcy Lozada, Anthony Phillips, and Sharon Vaughn – were sworn in.  

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Helen Gym resigned to run in the 2023 Mayoral race. City Council currently has 16 members, one member short of a full body. 

Bills and Amendments Introduced
Several speakers at the Thursday, December 1, 2022, Council session lauded City Council and the Kenney Administration for investing in education, parks and recreation, and cultural institutions via the city's mid-year transfer ordinance, Bill 220869. The city recently announced that it ended FY 2022 with a $775 million fund balance. With the higher fund balance, the city took two approaches to a mid-year ordinance that was transmitted to City Council: (1) make essential investments across a number of areas, including education, public safety, Parks and Rec and the Free Library, cultural institutions, infrastructure investment, and homeless services; and (2) use a significant portion of the funding to build reserves to address the ongoing impacts of inflation and the next potential economic slowdown. Bill 220869 was approved at this Council session.  

Bill 220654, Evening Curfew Hours for Minors, was also approved at the Thursday, December 1, 2022, Council session. The bill will permanently change evening curfew hours to 10:00 PM for minors aged 14-17. Before City Council recessed in June 2022, Council approved a bill to change the evening curfew time for minors aged 16-17 to 10:00 PM just for the summer. The original curfew was at midnight. This bill will make the change to 10:00 PM permanent and set outexceptions, including employment, other legitimate business reasons, accompaniment by a parent, etc., to the curfew rules. The bill was amended at the Thursday, November 17, 2022, Council session to adjust the bill's enforcement provisions and add reporting requirements. 

Upcoming City Council Hearings
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the City Council Committee on Rules will hold a hearing on various zoning bills, including Council President Clarke's affordable housing overlay bill that would impact new construction in certain areas along North Broad Street from JFK Boulevard to Roosevelt Boulevard. 

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, the City Council Committee on Streets and Services will hold a hearing on various parking regulations, stop sign installation, line and grade revision, and encroachment bills. 

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, the City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention will hold a hearing to address Philadelphia's enduring plague of gun violence by facilitating coordination among stakeholders and formulating a comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy. 

On Thursday, December 8, 2022, the City Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services will hold a hearing on expanding Philadelphia's mobile crisis response capacity to develop strategies and best practices for non-lethal de-escalation, crisis intervention, and restraint of individuals experiencing mental or emotionsal distress. 

2023 Mayoral Race
This week, Helen Gym resigned from City Council and announced her 2023 Mayoral run, bringing the current number of democratic candidates to seven. Gym joins businessman Jeff Brown, former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart, and former Councilmembers Allan Domb, Cherelle Parker, Derek Green, Maria Quiñones Sánchez in the race to be Philadelphia's next Mayor. Councilmember David Oh and State Representative Amen Brown are also reported to be considering a run.  

Odds and Ends
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 5:30 PM, a group of engagement experts hired by the City of Philadelphia will host a virtual event to share what they learned from six months of studying public sentiment regarding the Roundhouse and its future. The Roundhouse, officially called the Philadelphia Police Administration Building, is no longer used by the Philadelphia Police. The city plans to sell it. To prepare for the sale, the city pursued a community engagement process to better understand the public sentiment around the site. Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c9CyNB0-QHyZegIZ-sZf_Q 

The Chamber's issue-based advocacy, in partnership with the Inclusive Growth Coalition, and efforts around the upcoming Council and Mayoral elections was featured in a recent article from Philadelphia Business Journal. To read the article, please visit The Business of Competing in City Hall. 

Upcoming Local Advocacy Events
City Council Reception
Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM  | The Notary Hotel 

Fueling our Energy Future: Positioning Greater Philadelphia as a Regional Hydrogen Hub
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 | 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Hybrid 

Mayoral Luncheon
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM | Philadelphia Marriott Downtown 

Questions? Contact William Carter (wcarter@chamberphl.com) for more information about local legislative affairs.

Both Parties Call for Special Election
On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler issued a writ of election setting Tuesday, February 7, 2023, as the date for a special election to fill the Allegheny County seat of the late Democratic Rep. Tony DeLuca during the last day of the 2021-22 legislative session. 

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton said that she would issue her own election writ for DeLuca's 32nd District seat in her capacity as Majority Leader and Acting Speaker when the new 2022-23 session starts. 

Who wins the special election will determine who is the majority party this coming session. Democrats won 102 of the 203 House seats in the election, giving them the opportunity to control the chamber for the first time in 12 years. However, they face vacancies in three of their seats, including the DeLuca seat, in the weeks ahead that are likely to remain Democratic. 

The entire House will vote on a new Speaker when the new session starts on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.  

Sen. Gordner to Join President Pro Tem Office
On Monday, November 28, 2022, Republican Pennsylvania Sen. John Gordner announced his resignation with two years left in his term. The senator will serve as counsel for the new Senate President Pro Tem, Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland. Sen. Gordner has been the majority whip in the state Senate. 

State Authority OK's Plan to Close Digital Divide
A new statewide broadband plan outlines several actions that can be taken to expand broadband access in Pennsylvania. The plan approved by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority earlier this month addresses challenges and opportunities for Pennsylvania in the four key areas key of infrastructure and availability, digital equity and affordability, device and technology access, and digital literacy and technical support. It outlines steps that state and local governments, the broadband industry, private companies, and community institutions can take to make broadband accessible to all Pennsylvanians.  

Krasner Impeachment Process Begins
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the state Senate returned to the Capitol to prepare for the January impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The state Senate has begun taking a series of procedural steps in order to move forward with Krasner's impeachment. The Senate plans to begin the trial on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The last time the Senate impeached a public official was in 1994 when they impeached Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen, who had been convicted of illegally conspiring to obtain prescription drugs.   

Shapiro Transition Team Announced
In late November 2022, the Shapiro-Davis Transition announced its Leadership Board and Personnel Committee – consisting of key leadership groups who will advise the Governor-Elect during the transition. Governor-Elect Shapiro's top priorities include growing our economy, making our communities safer, and ensuring all Pennsylvania students receive a high-quality education. 

The following individuals will serve on the Shapiro-Davis Transition Leadership Board: 

• Chairman of the Board: William Sasso, Chairman Emeritus of Stradley Ronon 
• Ryan Boyer, Business Manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council 
• Gregory E. Deavens, President and CEO of Independence Health Group 
• Angela Ferritto, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO 
• Thomas B. Hagen, Chairman of the Board of Erie Indemnity Company, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Community & Economic Development 
• Laura Karet, CEO of Giant Eagle and Chair of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development 
• Jannie K. Lau, Lawyer and Retired Technology Company Executive 
• Charisse Lillie, CEO of CRL Consulting, former Assistant United States Attorney on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia 
• Neil T. O'Donnell, Founder of O'Donnell Law Offices 
• Michelle Singer, SVP at Comcast 
• Hon. Pam Snyder, State Representative for Pennsylvania District 50, representing Greene and Washington Counties 

The Transition Personnel Committee – which will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor-Elect Davis – will recruit, review, and recommend top talent to the Governor-elect and his senior team.  

This group is tasked with finding the personnel for a capable, diverse Administration that will be ready on day one to deliver results for Pennsylvanians.

Transition Personnel Committee Members:  

• Committee Chairman: Austin Davis, Lieutenant Governor-Elect 
• Curtis Aiken, President, CEO and Founder of ProTech Compliance 
• Madeline Bell, President and CEO of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 
• Norman Bristol Colón, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Founder and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Latino Convention 
• Steven Crawford, President and Partner at Wojdak Government Relations, former Secretary for Legislative Affairs and Chief of Staff to Governor Ed Rendell 
• Robert Fox, Managing Partner at Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, former Chair of the Lower Merion Environmental Advisory Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Hearing Board 
• J. David Henderson, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 13 
• Joseph Hill, Senior Principal at Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies 
• Susan Jacobson, President at Jacobson Strategic Communications, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell 
• Farnam Jahanian, President of Carnegie Mellon University 
• Jerry Johnson, President and CEO of Axum Advisors 
• Kevin Kinross, Consultant at The Carey Group, former Chief of Staff to Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and former Special Assistant to Governor Ed Rendell 
• Ben Kirshner, Former Founder, Chairman and CEO of Tinuiti 
• Lauren Lambrugo, Chief Operating Officer of Public Health Management Corporation, 
• Jennifer Liptak, Chief of Staff to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald 
• Leslie Anne Miller, Attorney and former General Counsel of Pennsylvania under Governor Ed Rendell 
• Marshall Mitchell, Senior Pastor at the Salem Baptist Church of Abington, former Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Floyd Flake 
• Joseph Neubauer, Former CEO of Aramark 
• James D. Schultz, Partner at Holland & Knight, former General Counsel to Governor Tom Corbett and Associate White House Counsel under President Donald Trump 
• Judith M. von Seldeneck, Founder and Chair of Diversified Search Group 
• Andréa Stanford, Vice President, Pittsburgh Regional Manager at BNY Mellon, former Assistant County Manager of Allegheny County and Senior Advisor for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services 
• Nathaniel Yap, Former Director at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

In addition to these leadership roles, the following attorneys will serve as the Shapiro-Davis Transition's legal counsel: 

• Mira Baylson, Member at Cozen O'Connor 
• Tracey McCants Lewis, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Human Resources at the Pittsburgh Penguins 
• David Nasatir, Chairman of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel 
• Roy Temple, Partner at GPS Impact, and Rob Ghormoz, Vice President at GSL Public Affairs, will serve as Senior Advisors to the Transition. Both have relevant past experience.  

Upcoming State Advocacy Programs   
Advancing Pennsylvania's Regional Economy
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Virtual  

State Advocacy Update with Rep. Cutler and Rep. Bradford 
Monday, December 19, 2022 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Virtual 

Questions? Contact Liz Ferry (lferry@chamberphl.com) for more information about state legislative affairs.

House Calendar Released
The House legislative calendar for 2023 was released by House Republicans this week. Senate Democrats have yet to release its legislative calendar for the coming new year. 

House Republicans Keep Earmarks
During a party rules conference this week, House Republicans voted against a proposal that would ban earmarks – or “congressionally directed spending” – in the 118th Congress. In 2021, Republicans had agreed to embrace earmarks only after House Democrats made plans to lift the decade-long ban. With little margin between Republicans and Democrats in both legislative chambers of Congress, proponents see earmarks as a necessary legislative resource to help reach bipartisan agreements. Opponents see earmarks as nothing more than wasteful spending. 

FY23 Spending Bill
Congress has until Friday, December 16, 2022, to pass a FY 2023 spending bill that would maintain funding for federal spending programs through Saturday, September 30, 2023. Congressional leaders on both sides are eager to reach a bipartisan deal rather than consider a short-term continuing resolution or stopgap measure. Republicans would like to “clear the deck” for their legislative agenda rather than face a looming government shutdown among a divided Congress. Democrats, on the other hand, are keen to pass legislation in their remaining days with majority control of both House and Senate. 

Congressional leaders expressed optimism that a bipartisan solution for an omnibus appropriations package could be reached following a meeting with President Biden at the White House this week. Even so, a handful of challenges remain unresolved between both sides. 

First, although House and Senate appropriators have been able to reach set top-line spending numbers, they have yet to confirm the allocation between defense and non-defense spending programs. Typically, spending bills strive to hit parity across defense and non-defense spending increases to satisfy both sides of the aisle. Republicans insist that more spending be available to defense programs since Democrats successfully passed large totals of non-defense spending over the course of the last year through partisan legislative maneuvers. 

Next, the White House has requested several emergency supplemental spending measures, including Ukraine assistance and relief, disaster recovery efforts, and COVID-19 response. Republicans remain open to supporting two of three measures but oppose additional funding for COVID-19 response efforts.  

An omnibus appropriations package also presents one of the last legislative vehicles available to members of Congress to attach their policy priorities, also referred to as policy riders. As more policies are attached to the measure, the more complex support for the end final package becomes. A number of extensions to expiring tax provisions are considered possible riders. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge is the amount of time remaining in the lame duck session. Congress will likely need one, maybe two, weeklong spending stopgaps to extend the Friday, December 16, 2022, government spending deadline. The President’s urgent call to Congress this week has lawmakers focused and actively working to negotiate a legislative solution to avert a nationwide freight rail strike. Progressives are insisting on better labor standards than proposed by the Biden Administration, which threatens to extend the debate. Meanwhile, Congress also needs to complete its “must-pass” National Defense Authorization Act before yearend. A conference agreement on the defense bill was reached and is expected to be filed in the next few days and taken up on the House floor next week.  

Without a deal, Congress could pass a continuing resolution to sustain funding at current levels through the end of the federal fiscal year on Saturday, September 30, 2023. While Democrats may be inclined to advance a bill with levels set by their majorities, a continuing resolution would be largely seen by the party as a broad spending cut. In a letter to congressional leaders this week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that a long-term continuing resolution would prevent the Department of Defense from embarking on new initiatives and delay necessary investments.

Upcoming Chamber Event
Economic Outlook 
Friday, January 13, 2023 | 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM |  Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus 

Questions? Contact Anselm Sauter (asauter@chamberphl.com) for more information about federal legislative affairs.

We invite you to reach out to our advocacy team directly with your questions: 

• Anselm Sauter, Federal Affairs – asauter@chamberphl.com 
• Liz Ferry, State Affairs – lferry@chamberphl.com 
• William Carter, Local Affairs – wcarter@chamberphl.com 

Chamber members are invited to join weekly legislative update calls hosted by our Advocacy team to hear the latest efforts at the federal, state, and local level as well as other legislative matters concerning our community.

To learn more about how our region is preparing for recovery, visit our Recharge & Recover PHL Information Hub: