Legislative Updates: A Weekly Roundup of Federal, State, and Local Actions – April 14th

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, April 14th, 2023.

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

FY24 Council Budget Hearings Testimony Call to Action
Virtual public testimony on Tax Bills, including Wage and BIRT taxes (bills: 230149 and 230147), has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 3:00 pm. If you are interested in testifying, whether virtually or written, please complete the registration form or contact Ashley Miscevich, Manager, Local Government Advocacy & Engagement, at amiscevich@chamberphl.com with any questions. The registration deadline is Friday, April 14, 2023. We have resources available and will ensure you are signed up to testify and/or written is submitted. 

As we approach FY24 City Council Budget Hearings, we want to remind our members that through our advocacy, in partnership with the valued members of the Inclusive Growth Coalition (IGC) led by the city’s diverse chambers, business tax reductions were ultimately included and passed in the FY23 Budget.  

We will continue working with City Council members to champion pro-growth policies while advocating for increased reductions to both the Wage and BIRT taxes during this budget cycle and over the five-year plan. The Chamber strongly encourages pro-growth advocates to sign up to testify at these hearings.

Join the Chamber on Monday, May 1, 2023, for our in-person City Council At-Large Candidates Forum and on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, for our virtual City Hall Connectors: A Look at FY24 Budget and 5-Year Plan program.

Tune in to our upcoming televised Mayoral Debate. More details to follow. 

No relevant updates at this time. Please check back next week.  

Join the Chamber  on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, for our in-person Conversation with the Governor, and on Monday, June 5, 2023, for our Pennsylvania Legislative Reception.

Debt Limit Negotiations
House Republican leaders are compiling a debt-limit package to share with the rest of the House Republican membership upon their Monday, April 17, 2023, return from recess. The debt-limit package is not expected to pass the Senate, but some believe it will help restart related negotiations between Speaker McCarthy and President Biden. 

City Council Stated Meeting
Councilmember Kendra Brooks was granted leave from the Thursday, April 13, 2023, City Council session. 

Councilmember Anthony Phillips introduced a bill to further define nuisance businesses and add new enforcement provisions and penalties. 

Councilmember Phillips introduced a resolution calling for hearings on the practices of the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and OEM’s overall preparedness when faced with threats to our water supply. 

Councilmember Curtis Jones introduced a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass House Bills 776 and 777 to prohibit untraceable firearms and ghost guns. 

Upcoming City Council Meetings
On Monday, April 17, 2023, the City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention will hold a hearing to develop a comprehensive approach to supporting youth at risk of being involved in or currently involved in gun violence. 

The City Council Committee of the Whole will hold hearings on the proposed budget for the following departments: 

• Commerce, Aviation, Mural Arts, and the Fire Department: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 
• Tax Bill Public Testimony: Tuesday, April 18, 2023, register to testify here. 
• Mayor’s Office of Children & Families, Parks & Recreation, Department of Human Services, Sustainability, Philadelphia Energy Authority, and the Free Library: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 

The next City Council Stated Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023. 

Odds and Ends
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the City of Philadelphia announced that it would initiate an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the impact, opportunities, and challenges posed by a proposed sports arena on the 1000 block of Market Street. Studies will assess building design, community impact and urban planning, economic impact, and parking/traffic impact. As the city’s partner and lead economic development agency, PIDC will facilitate the city’s due diligence regarding the impact of the project on the city and the surrounding communities and will issue requests for proposals (RFPs) to evaluate these considerations. 

2023 Primary Election – May 16, 2023
As we march towards the Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Primary Election, here is a round-up of who is currently running for Mayor and City Council.   

Mayor
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, Derek Green withdrew from the race for Mayor. This announcement comes on the heels of Maria Quiñones Sánchez’s withdrawal from the race last week. Their departures bring the total number of Democratic candidates in the race down to nine. 

In other news, the Philadelphia Board of Ethics filed suit against an independent expenditure political action committee and related nonprofit supporting Jeff Brown’s campaign. It accused Brown of violating the city’s campaign finance laws and illegally coordinating with those entities. 

Democratic Candidates: 

• Warren Bloom, Sr. 
• Amen Brown 
• Jeff Brown 
• James DeLeon 
• Allan Domb 
• Delscia Gray 
• Helen Gym 
• Cherelle Parker 
• Rebecca Rhynhart 

Republican Candidate: 

• David Oh 

City Council At-Large
27 Democrats and six Republicans filed to run for Council At-Large. (Please note that Pennsylvania has closed primary elections, so third-party candidates, including Working Families Party candidate Councilmember Kendra Brooks, will file and run in the November General Election.) 

Democratic Candidates: 

• Nina Ahmad 
• Jalon Alexander 
• Erika Almirón 
• Christopher Gladstone Booth 
• Sherrie Cohen 
• Luz Colón 
• Wayne Dorsey 
• Abu Edwards 
• Katherine Gilmore Richardson 
• Naderah Griffin 
• Ogbonna “Paul” Hagins 
• Jim Harrity 
• Job Itzkowitz 
• John B. Kelly, III
• Rue Landau 
• Amanda McIllMurray 
• Michelle Prettyman 
• Charles Reyes 
• Melissa Robbins 
• Eryn Santamoor 
• Curtis Segers, III 
• Derwood Selby 
• Qiana Shedrick 
• George Stevenson 
• Isaiah Thomas 
• Donavan West 
• Deshawnda Williams 

Republican Candidates: 

• Frank Cristinzio 
• Gary Grisafi 
• James Hasher 
• Mary Jane Kelly 
• Drew Murray 
• Sam Oropeza 

City Council Districts
After successful challenges to their opponents’ nominating petitions, Councilmembers Kenyatta Johnson (2), Jamie Gauthier (3), Curtis Jones, Jr. (4), will now run unopposed in the May Primary. They will join fellow Councilmembers Mark Squilla (1) and Mike Driscoll (6), neither of which had opponents file to run.

Jeffery “Jay” Young will run unopposed in the 5th Councilmanic District election to replace Council President Darrell Clarke.

Councilmembers Quetcy Lozada (7), Cindy Bass (8), and Anthony Phillips (9) will all have opponents in May Primary, and Councilmember Brian O’Neill (10) will face a Democratic challenger in the November General Election.

The Chamber is committed to ensuring our message of citywide business and job growth is spread throughout Philadelphia and actively advocating for pro-growth policies and priorities as the City of Philadelphia prepares for a new era of leadership in 2024. 

We are excited to share our inaugural Election Hub, a resource created for you at electionhub.chamberphl.com. 

The 2023 Election Hub is a comprehensive tool with dedicated profiles, relevant legislative history, notable press mentions, a  Candidate Engagement Guide, and other resources related to the City of Philadelphia’s Mayoral and City Council candidates. 

We encourage our members to stay informed and engaged ahead of the municipal election. Our future leaders must understand that the more people working in family-sustaining jobs or running successful businesses, the better Philadelphia’s overall quality of life will be for its residents and visitors. Further, building our tax base this way allows for more resources to combat crime, violence, and blight in our city.

Upcoming Local Advocacy Events 

City Council At-Large Candidates Forum
Monday, May 1, 2023 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | WHYY 

City Hall Connectors: A Look At Philadelphia’s FY24 Budget and 5-Year Plan
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Virtual 

Televised Mayoral Debate
Details to follow 

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

No relevant updates at this time. Please check back next week. 

Upcoming State Advocacy Events

A Conversation with the Governor 
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM | The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts at Villanova University 

Pennsylvania Legislative Reception
Monday, June 5, 2023 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Keystone Building, Hearing Room 1, Harrisburg

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

With the President overseas and Congress out of session, legislative activity remained slow in Washington this week.  

Debt Limit Negotiations 
Though legislators are not formally in session again until Monday, April 17, 2023, House Republican leaders are compiling a debt-limit package to share with the rest of the House Republican membership upon their return from recess. The informal package is currently thought to include provisions to lift the debt limit until May 2024, to require either a cap on non-defense discretionary spending at current levels or a cap on overall discretionary spending at FY22 levels, and to impose a budget growth limit of 1% annually for the next ten years. Additional provisions that have been floated in other informal debt-limit conversations are also expected to be included, such as recouping unspent COVID relief funds, instituting stricter work requirements for recipients of social welfare programs, and enacting H.R. 1 – the House Republican's energy policy package that passed the House on a near party-line vote last month.  

The debt-limit package is not expected to pass the Senate, but some believe it will help restart related negotiations between Speaker McCarthy and President Biden.  

Odds and Ends
Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6) is leading a bipartisan effort with Representative Stephanie Bice to push for consideration of a federal paid leave policy. The two Representatives launched the Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group in January of this year to move forward related issues. However, they now face an added layer of difficulty in introducing any new federally subsidized program given the current environment around government spending and debt. 

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey announced his fourth term reelection campaign this week. This announcement came as welcome news to many Democrats, who hope to at least maintain – if not grow – their Senate majority in 2024. 

Questions? Contact Renee Androckitis (randrockitis@chamberphl.com) for more information about federal legislative affairs.

ChamberPHL Political Action Committee
Help us advance the business community’s agenda by contributing to support state and local candidates in key elections who share our commitment to a healthier business climate.

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

• Renee Androckitis, Federal Affairs – randrockitis@chamberphl.com
• Anselm Sauter, State Affairs – asauter@chamberphl.com
• William Carter, Local Affairs – wcarter@chamberphl.com

Chamber members are invited to join weekly legislative update calls hosted by our Advocacy team.