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, March 1, 2024.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Local

  • On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Chamber held its annual Mayoral Luncheon, honoring the city’s 100th mayor, Cherelle Parker. This year, we welcomed over 2,000 business and civic leaders to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to hear Mayor Parker’s first address to the Chamber community; you can read highlights in the full report.
  • SEPTA appointed its new Board leadership on Thursday, February 22, 2024. Former Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence, Jr. will serve as Board Chair, and Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz will serve as Vice Chair. Notably, Lawrence is the first Democrat and Black man to serve as Chair, and Moskowitz is the first woman to serve as an officer of the Board.  
  • Councilmember Brian O’Neill introduced a resolution recognizing and honoring the service of former City Council Chief Clerk Michael Decker, who passed away unexpectedly last week. A moment of silence was held during the Thursday, February 29, 2024, City Council Stated Meeting in his remembrance.  
  • Several resolutions were passed on Thursday, February 29, 2024, during City Council’s Stated Meeting, which will help to bolster our city’s inclusive economic growth. Read the full report to learn more.  

State

  • House and Senate Appropriations Committees completed their second week of budget hearings to examine Governor Josh Shapiro’s $48.3 billion budget proposal. 
  • Governor Shapiro has proposed more than a $1 billion increase in basic education funding in response to the Basic Education Funding Commission’s adopted report, which called for $5.1 billion over the next seven years. 
  • Republicans have warned that Pennsylvania cannot afford to spend $5 billion in basic education funding without raising taxes. 
  • Questions about Governor Shapiro’s higher education proposal continued through this week; Administration officials hope to provide bill text for passage in the coming months.

Join the Chamber on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for our in-person A Conversation with the Governor. 

Federal

  • With lingering uncertainty surrounding a possible government shutdown in the coming weeks, only a handful of congressional members have made materials available for their FY25 General Appropriations Requests, and even fewer for FY25 Community Project Funding Requests. 

Join the Chamber on Friday, March 15, 2024, for our in-person Congressional Staff Reception. 

Market your business: sponsor one of the Chamber's advocacy events. Gain exposure and build promising relationships with top-level business professionals, civic leaders, and elected officials. Learn more about our upcoming local, state, and federal advocacy sponsorship opportunities here or contact Tara Orio, Senior Vice President, Membership and Member Engagement, at torio@chamberphl.com.

DETAILED LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Local: Updates from Philadelphia’s City Hall

Local 

Upcoming City Council Stated Meetings and Committee Hearings
The next City Council Stated Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, 2024.  

On Monday, March 4, 2024, the City Council Committee on Legislative Oversight will hold a hearing to investigate the city’s progress on its carbon neutrality goals to meaningfully participate in the planet-wide effort to mitigate the effects of global warming.  

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the City Council Committee on Streets and Services will hold a hearing on bills to install traffic calming measures in the vicinity of recreation centers; to provide for prohibitions, penalties, and enforcement related to license plate flipping devices; to prohibit street vending in the 54th ward (7th Councilmanic District); and to establish parking regulations in certain areas of the 4th Councilmanic District.  

On Friday, March 8, 2024, the City Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services will hold a hearing to examine proposed solutions to racial disparities in the maternal mortality rate in the City of Philadelphia.  

 On Monday, March 11, 2024, the City Council Committee of the Whole will hold a hearing to confirm the appointments of Adam Geer as the Chief Public Safety Officer and Renee Garcia as the City Solicitor and to appoint members to the Boards of Directors for the Center City District and the Old City Special Services District.  

Bills and Resolutions Passed
Councilmember Rue Landau introduced a special resolution authorizing hearings to examine the transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency of current regulations and licensing of streeteries. Through these hearings, Councilmember Landau hopes to reduce costs and barriers to obtaining a license and enhance our city’s vibrant, innovative, and diverse culinary culture. During Thursday’s Stated Meeting, Zak Pyzik, Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, provided public comment supporting the resolution, explicitly highlighting the opportunity this would provide to restaurants and the benefit to this industry in 2026. Additionally, he mentioned the recently released Philadelphia Streetery License Guide as a good first step in supporting restaurant owners interested in obtaining a license.  

The Chamber supports Councilmember Landau and her resolution and encourages Council to provide easier access to streetery licenses and increase opportunities for City of Philadelphia restaurant owners to prosper.   

Resolution #240107, authorizing the creation of the Special Committee on City and Private Sector Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to examine the impact of such policies and to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations to enhance policy effectiveness in the promotion of minority, women, and disabled-owned businesses in the city, was unanimously passed and adopted.  

During the Thursday, February 29, 2024, Stated Meeting many key organizations and business leaders provided public comment in support of this resolution. Regina Hairston, President and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of PA – NJ – DE, testified that “although barriers still exist, City Council has an opportunity to ensure minority businesses have the resources and tools they need to succeed in Philadelphia.” Others who commented in support were Jeff Hornstein, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Angelo Perryman, President & CEO of Perryman Construction and Chamber Board Member, and Donna Allie, Founder and President of Team Clean and Chamber member.    

The Chamber applauds Council President Johnson and City Council on their efforts to identify opportunities through policy change to further promote and grow the diverse business community in Philadelphia. We look forward to continued collaboration with Council President Johnson and all Councilmembers on this important work. Learn more about The Chamber’s DEI initiatives on our website. Interested in measuring and gaining insights into your organization’s civic mindedness? Read a recent article for more information on the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia, launching on Monday, March 4, 2024. Update (March 4, 2024): The 2024 Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia survey is now open and accepting submissions. Complete the survey here.

Resolution #240108, authorizing the reconvening of the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission (the Commission) and its advisory committee to conduct an updated comprehensive analysis of all taxes imposed in the City of Philadelphia and to make recommendations concerning tax reforms that support the city’s economic growth and competitiveness, was unanimously passed and adopted. Before the resolution was adopted, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas commented that “[tax reform] is the biggest problem in our city not being discussed.”  

You can learn more about the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission and its 2003 recommendations here.  

The Chamber recognizes the importance of having informed and educated recommendations issued around tax reform in our city. We support Council’s reconvening of the Commission. Still, we cannot impress upon city leadership enough that sustained investment in good-paying jobs and inclusive business growth is the key to creating a robust economy that leaves no Philadelphian behind. 

Through an extended lobbying campaign, led by the Inclusive Growth Coalition (IGC) in partnership with the city’s diverse chambers and supported by the Chamber, we will continue to advocate for increased reductions in the city wage and Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) in the city’s FY25 Budget, and have been reassured by Council President Johnson the reconvening of the Commission would not hinder their commitment to continue reducing these taxes. 

Call to Action: Contract Workers Protection Legislation Opposition
On Thursday, February 8, 2024, Councilmember Jim Harrity introduced his Contract Workers Protection legislation (Bill 240088). The Chamber strongly opposes this legislation and is committed to acting swiftly against it. As previously reported, our team, along with key stakeholders, met multiple times over the past weeks with Councilmember Harrity to discuss the proposed legislation and its impact on the city’s business community. Councilmember Harrity expressed his willingness to work together and requested the Chamber issue proposed amendments, which were delivered to Councilmember Harrity and Council leadership last week. Despite the proposed amendments, there are still many issues with this legislation. 

Take Action Now: Contact members of Council and urge their opposition to the Contract Workers Protection mandate. Please use this link to access our one-click campaign. 

Event Recap: 2024 Mayoral Luncheon
On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Chamber hosted our annual Mayoral Luncheon, honoring our city’s 100th Mayor, Cherelle Parker. With over 2,000 business and civic leaders in attendance, it was the largest Mayoral Luncheon in Chamber history. Mayor Parker shared her vision and goals to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city with economic opportunity for all.  

Key Highlights from Mayor Parker’s Address:  

  • Public safety remains a top priority, including quality-of-life issues like retail theft, illegal ATVs, and Kensington’s open-air drug market.  
  • Creating a business roundtable led by Donavan West and comprised of representatives from the city’s diverse chambers, including the Chamber.
  • Calling on all City of Philadelphia companies to bring staff back to the city and return to in-person work. 
  • Starting new initiatives to support diverse businesses, like PHL Open for Business, aimed to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for small, diverse businesses in the city. 
  • Launching an Office of Minority Business Success, with Rachel Branson serving as Director and Darnell Thomas as Deputy Director. This new office will work with the Department of Commerce and the Office of Economic Opportunity to provide resources and access to capital for diverse businesses. 
  • Increasing focus on workforce development and access to economic opportunity in the city. 
  • Expanding PHL Taking Care of Business (PHL TCB), a commercial corridor cleanup program offering cleaning ambassadors training and $15/hour pay. 
  • Continuing intergovernmental collaboration with our state and federal legislators and agencies to bring resources and needed policy change at all levels of government to ensure Philadelphia continues to grow and thrive. 
  • Other top priorities addressed: cleaning up trash from our city’s neighborhoods, improving education programs and funding, and increasing the availability of affordable housing.  

The Chamber looks forward to continued collaboration with Mayor Parker, her Administration, and City Council to achieve our shared goal to inclusively grow the City of Philadelphia’s economy and create opportunity for all. Thank you to our sponsors, including Title Sponsor, Comcast, and all those who attended the 2024 Mayoral Luncheon this week.  

State: Updates from Harrisburg

Budget Hearings Continue
House and Senate Appropriations Committees completed their second week of budget hearings to examine Governor Josh Shapiro's $48.3 billion budget proposal. A key focus of this week's hearings centered on the Governor's recent basic and higher education proposals. In addition to several other hearings, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a day-long hearing on the Department of Education; the House Appropriations Committee held hearings on the state's community colleges and state-related universities. 

Budget hearings are expected to continue through Thursday, March 7, 2024. Full Senate and House hearing schedules are available. The General Assembly returns to session on Monday, March 18, 2024. 

Read more from the Chamber on how the Governor's economic development strategy and proposed budget emphasize growth in the Commonwealth here.  

Basic Education Funding 

The Governor has proposed more than a $1 billion increase in basic education funding – the largest single-year increase in the state's history – in a continued effort to respond to the January 2023 Commonwealth Court decision, which ruled that the state's current school funding formula was unconstitutional. The Governor's budget proposal would provide an $872 million adequacy investment to districts in line with the Majority Report of the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC). It also provides another $200 million through the existing basic education subsidy formula. In the adopted majority report, the BEFC recommended that state lawmakers close more than a $5 billion gap in education funding over the next seven years.   

Senate Republicans have criticized the Governor's proposal, explaining that it does not display planned funding increases in basic education beyond the next fiscal year. During the Senate budget hearings, Republicans reiterated their concern that Pennsylvania cannot afford to spend $5 billion in basic education funding without increasing taxes. 

In addition to basic education spending projections, the Senate Appropriations hearing also touched on cyber charter and charter schools. Cyber charters significantly increased their enrollment during the pandemic. The Governor's proposed budget establishes a statewide cyber tuition rate of $8,000 per student per year and to "better align" tuition with the actual costs of providing an online education, saving chool districts about $262 million annually.  

Higher Education Blueprint 

The House and Senate budget hearings this week provided more information relative to the Governor's proposal to merge the Pennsylvania State Education of Higher Education (PASSHE) system with the Commonwealth's community colleges through one governance structure. Republicans and Democrats alike have commended the Governor for addressing higher education accessibility and affordability in Pennsylvania but still lack clarity relative to how the blueprint seeks to address enrollment numbers, tuition costs, and skills attainment. 

In response to calls for bill text on the Governor's higher education proposal, Education Secretary Khalid Mumin called the blueprint "wet cement" as the Administration continues to convene higher education leaders to develop the proposal.  The Administration hopes to reach a consensus on a governance model through the passage of legislative language by the end of the current fiscal year.  

Upcoming State Advocacy Event
A Conversation with the Governor
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Drexel University – Mandell Theatre  

Market your business: sponsor one of the Chamber's advocacy events. Gain exposure and build promising relationships with top-level business professionals, civic leaders, and elected officials. Learn more about our upcoming local, state, and federal advocacy sponsorship opportunities here or contact Tara Orio, Senior Vice President, Membership and Member Engagement, at torio@chamberphl.com.

Federal: Updates from Washington D.C.

Fiscal Year 2025 General Appropriations and Community Project Funding Requests
With uncertainty still surrounding a possible government shutdown in the coming weeks, only a handful of congressional members have made materials available for their FY25 General Appropriations Requests, and even fewer for FY25 Community Project Funding Requests.   

Of the six senators representing our region, the following materials and guidance are available:  

Senators Cory Booker, Bob Casey, and Bob Menendez have not yet released materials for FY25 Programmatic Appropriations Requests or Community Project Appropriations Requests. Similarly, in the lower chamber, House Representatives Dwight Evans, Brian Fitzpatrick, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jeff Van Drew have not released materials as of this writing. While many deadlines have yet to be set pending additional guidance from House leadership, available materials for the remainder of our delegation are as follows:   

Upcoming Federal Advocacy Event
Congressional Staff Reception
Friday, March 15, 2024 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Citizens Bank Park   

Market your business: sponsor one of the Chamber’s advocacy events. Gain exposure and build promising relationships with top-level business professionals, civic leaders, and elected officials. Learn more about our upcoming local, state, and federal advocacy sponsorship opportunities here or contact Tara Orio, Senior Vice President, Membership and Member Engagement, at torio@chamberphl.com.

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

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