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 15, 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

  • Mayor Cherelle Parker gave her first budget speech to City Council at Thursday’s Council session. Budget hearings on the Mayor’s proposal are expected to begin later this month. Read more here. 
  • City Council unanimously confirmed the appointments of Renee Garcia as the City Solicitor and Adam Geer as the city’s first-ever Chief Public Safety Officer.  
  • Mayor Parker announced that Philadelphia was selected as one of 25 U.S. cities to join Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities.  
  • URGENT CALL TO ACTION: The Committee of Commerce and Economic Development is expected to hold a hearing on Councilmember Jim Harrity’s Contract Workers Protection legislation (Bill 240088) in the coming weeks. The Chamber strongly opposes this legislation; we need the business community to contact members of City Council to urge your opposition. Please use this link to take action. 

Join the Chamber on Friday, April 26, 2024, for our in-person Advancing Inclusive Strategies for Economic Growth: A Civic Issues Forum. 

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia survey is now open! Measure and share your organization’s social impact for the opportunity to be ranked among the top 50 civic-oriented businesses in the region. Learn more here or contact Civic50@chamberphl.com for additional information. 

State

  • Governor Josh Shapiro released his energy plan this week, which he says will create thousands of energy jobs, lower utility bills, and address carbon pollution in the Commonwealth. 
  • The Pennsylvania General Assembly returns to session next week to debate several issues, including basic education funding, minimum wage, transit funding, net operating loss carryforward, and the establishment of key economic development programs. 
  • The House Transportation Committee Chairman plans to introduce legislation that would levy an annual fee on electric vehicle drivers to help subsidize the costs of roads, highways, and bridge maintenance. 

Join the Chamber on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for our in-person A Conversation with the Governor, and in Harrisburg on Monday, May 6, 2024, for our in-person Harrisburg Reception (this event was formerly called the Pennsylvania Legislative 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

Urgent Call to Action 
As you may be aware, the Chamber, in collaboration with key stakeholders, has been actively engaging with Councilmember Jim Harrity to discuss his Contract Workers Protection legislation (Bill #240088) and its impact on the business community. The Chamber has delivered proposed amendments to Councilmember Harrity and shared them with Council leadership. Although Councilmember Harrity expressed his willingness to work together, this legislation still has many issues. It is expected that the Committee of Commerce and Economic Development will call this bill onto the Commerce and Economic Development Committee agenda in the coming weeks, so we must act swiftly.   

Your voice matters, and action is crucial. The Chamber urges you to reach out to members of City Council and express your opposition to the Contract Workers Protection legislation (Bill #240088). Please use this link to take action.  

City Council Stated Meeting 
Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, on behalf of Council President Kenyatta Johnson, introduced bills to adopt FY25 capital and operating budgets, amend the five-year capital program, and adjust the school portion of the real estate tax. These bills will serve as the subject of forthcoming budget hearings and the legislative vehicles for approval of the FY25 spending plan. Council must approve the FY25 budget on or before June 30, 2024.  

Councilmember Kendra Brooks introduced a resolution calling for hearings on overdose deaths and the impact of those deaths on neighborhoods throughout the city.  

On behalf of Council President Johnson, Councilmember Brooks introduced a bill to require open bidding for land bank properties.  

Mayor Parker’s FY25 Budget Proposal 
At the Thursday, March 14, 2024, Council session, Chamber leadership was in attendance to hear Mayor Cherelle Parker give her first budget address to City Council. Her “One Philly Budget” will make nearly $2 billion in investments over the next five years to deliver on the Mayor’s campaign promise to make Philadelphia the “safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in America, with economic opportunity for all.” You can read the Chamber’s summary of the Mayor’s budget proposal here.    

Although Mayor Parker announced no new taxes or increases, she did not include decreased city wage or Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) rates in her address. The Chamber 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 one behind.  

Through our lobbying campaign led by the Inclusive Growth Coalition (IGC), led by the city’s diverse chambers and supported by the Chamber, we will continue to advocate for more significant reductions in the city wage and BIRT taxes in the city’s FY25 budget.  

Upcoming City Council Committee Hearings 
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the City Council Committee on Commerce and Economic Development will hold a hearing on a bill to extend the existence of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (PAID) for fifty years and on a bill to add a new section to the Philadelphia Code regarding the operation of establishments providing tax preparation services.    

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, the City Council Committee on Commerce and Economic Development will hold a hearing regarding the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act of Pennsylvania.  

On Monday, March 25, 2024, the City Council Committee on Commerce and Economic Development will hold a hearing on the City of Philadelphia’s capacity to prepare individuals of all educational backgrounds for careers in the growing life sciences industry, focusing on the cell and gene therapy sector. Bryan Tsao, Ph.D., Manager, Economic Competitiveness and Healthcare Initiatives at the Chamber, will testify at the hearing. 

The Chamber works to build bridges between industry and the organizations that prepare and train the current and future workforce and provide connection points that proactively build the Greater Philadelphia region’s robust talent pipeline for the high-quality jobs of today and tomorrow. The Chamber also recognizes the region’s leadership in the life sciences industry and our specialized strengths in one of the fastest-growing subsectors – cell and gene therapy. We are committed to solidifying our region as a global hub and leader in life sciences innovation. Learn more about the Chamber’s Life Sciences and Talent initiatives in the links provided or connect with a member of our Economic Competitiveness team.  


Upcoming Local Advocacy Events  

Advancing Inclusive Strategies for Economic Growth: A Civic Issues Forum
Friday, April 26, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | University City Science Center Quorum 

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia survey is now open! Measure and share your organization’s social impact for the opportunity to be ranked among the top 50 civic-oriented businesses in the region. Learn more here or contact Civic50@chamberphl.com for additional information. 

State: Updates from Harrisburg

Governor Releases Energy Plan 
This week, Governor Josh Shapiro released his energy plan, which he says will protect and create nearly 15,000 energy jobs, save Pennsylvania ratepayers $252 million in the first five years, and address carbon pollution by generating $5.1 billion in investment in clean, reliable energy sources. 

The Governor has proposed the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) to establish a "cap-and-invest" program that allows Pennsylvania to determine its carbon cap and invest directly in lowering consumers' electricity bills. If passed, PACER would take Pennsylvania out of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). 

Governor Shapiro's plan also calls for the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS), which requires Pennsylvania to get 50% of its electricity from a diverse range of energy resources by 2035, including 35% from the clean energy sources of today and the future like solar, wind, small modular reactors, and fusion, 10% from sustainable sources like large hydropower and battery storage, and 5% from ultra-low emission forms of natural gas and other traditional fuels.  

Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court ruled last fall that the state should not move forward with entry into the RGGI. In its decision, the Court states that entry into RGGI requiring fees for carbon dioxide emissions would be the same as levying a new cap-and-invest tax. The Court would go on to rule that the ability to levy a tax belonged to the General Assembly, not the Executive. Governor Shapiro has appealed the Court's decision. 

Senate Republicans responded to the Governor's announcement in a statement, "Shapiro says if his proposal is passed, he will drop the lawsuit that is keeping RGGI alive and consumer electric bills high." The statement asked Governor Shapiro "to immediately drop the lawsuit that keeps RGGI in place, and then we can begin to have a real and inclusive conversation about the future of Pennsylvania's energy sector." 

General Assembly Returns to Harrisburg
The Pennsylvania General Assembly stood in recess this week following three weeks of budget hearings. House and Senate will return to session next week. Leaders will begin to examine, debate, and negotiate several pending issues facing the legislature, including basic education funding, minimum wage increases, transit funding, increases in the net operating loss carryforward, and establishment of key economic development programs. 

Electric Vehicle Fee Legislation
The House Transportation Committee Chairman plans to introduce legislation that would levy an annual fee on electric vehicle drivers to help subsidize the costs of roads, highways, and bridge maintenance. To address declining gas tax revenues due to vehicle fuel efficiency, electric vehicle drivers would pay an annual fee beginning in 2025 that would rise to $225 by 2029, which would then be indexed to inflation in subsequent years. The Senate passed similar legislation last summer by a wide bipartisan margin. 

Jason Kelce Day
Two area Senators plan to introduce a resolution naming June 2, 2024, "Jason Kelce Day" in Pennsylvania. June 2 or 6/2 would honor the recently retired long-time Philadelphia Eagles center and future NFL Hall of Famer who proudly wore #62 throughout his career. 

Upcoming State Advocacy Events  

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

Harrisburg Reception 
Monday, May 6, 2024 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Keystone Building – Harrisburg
This event was formerly called the Pennsylvania Legislative 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.  

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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.