Moves on the Board: Week of August 18 - 22, 2025

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♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

Parker Administration

Last Friday, Mayor Parker announced the 2025 Interest Arbitration Award between the City and Fraternal Order of the Police (FOP) Lodge 5. Police officers will see a 3% wage increase in FY26 and FY27, a one-time signing bonus of $3,000, and extra time off for wellness and sick leave. The total cost of the award over the City’s Five-Year Plan is $343 million. Arbitration negotiations are ongoing between the City and the International Association of Firefighters Local 22. 

Philadelphia City Council

As summer winds down and the school year quickly approaches, City Council is wrapping up the season with a wide range of community events, including back-to-school drives, school supply giveaways, family gatherings, and neighborhood celebrations.

Philadelphia City Council returns to session on Thursday, September 11. 

♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

Shapiro Administration

Governor Shapiro joined Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry Nancy Walker to highlight new improvements to the Unemployment Compensation system. The administration has added new customer service tools to speed up the processing of claims, which has cleared all 73,000 cases in the backlog in seven months.

The Shapiro administration announced a new toolkit that aims to help older adults connect with the outdoors and improve their health. The toolkit provides caregivers and long-term care facilities with guides on outdoor recreation for seniors. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania was named an Age-Friendly state by AARP, which builds on Shapiro’s Aging Our Way PA initiative to help improve the lives of older Pennsylvanians. 

Governor Shapiro and Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding continued to keep farmers as a top priority with a visit to Kulp Dairy Farm in Blair County. The Governor highlighted his new Agriculture Innovation Grant and his work to speed up the permitting process for Pennsylvania farmers. 

📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom

• Speeding Up Government: Governor Shapiro and L&I Secretary Walker Highlight Major Improvements to Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation System, Lowest Call Wait Times in Over Six Years

• Investing in Safety: Shapiro-Davis Admin Visits OIC Philadelphia to Highlight Workforce Development and Violence Prevention

♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Governor and General Assembly leaders are continuing budget negotiations in private. In the meantime, the House Democratic Caucus held several policy hearings ranging from 2026 readiness to food insecurity. 

On Tuesday, August 19th, the House Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing on food insecurity. George Matysik, the executive director of the Share Food Program, along with other testifiers, spoke to the challenges presented by the mercurial policies of the federal government. Despite these challenges, nonprofits, such as Share, have found much-needed stability and support from champions in the General Assembly. The testifiers extolled the efforts of House Democrats in providing funding to the core programs of the State Food Purchase Program and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System. Furthermore, the willingness of House Democrats to expand home delivery to seniors in need of food throughout the Commonwealth was discussed.

Rep. Sean Dougherty hosted the House Democratic Policy Committee in Northeast Philadelphia on Wednesday to discuss planning for major events in 2026. Efficient and reliable public transit is a core component of hosting major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game. SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer testified at the hearing that if the Commonwealth doesn’t appropriate funding for public transit, SEPTA would cut 45% of its normal operations by Summer 2026, which would cause significant challenges for event producers and spectators.Next Week’s Moves

While nothing is set in stone and the session schedule could change instantly, as of this writing, the General Assembly is not scheduled to return to legislative session next week. However, House Democrats are holding several policy committee meetings in Philadelphia in the week ahead.

• Monday, August 18 - Protecting Pennsylvanians Act 

• Tuesday, August 19 - Public hearing on food insecurity

• Wednesday, August 20 - Public hearing on 2026 safety and security 

Next Week’s Moves

The General Assembly is not scheduled to return to Harrisburg until September, barring a breakthrough in budget negotiations. 

♟️On The Trail: Pennsylvania’s 2026 Elections

State Races

• Two-term State Treasurer Stacy Garrity formally announced her run for Governor of Pennsylvania this week. In her last election, Garrity received over 3.5 million votes, setting the record for most votes received in a statewide election. Garrity pledged to address issues such as high inflation, rising utility and food prices, and Pennsylvania's tax burden. The Pennsylvania Republican Party will vote on its formal endorsement at its meeting in September.