Moves on the Board: Week of July 21 - 25, 2025
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Early this week, District Council 33 ratified the union’s contract with the Parker administration. The union cannot strike again during the lifetime of the three-year agreement. District Council 47 is expected to vote on their contract with the Parker administration in the coming weeks.
On Tuesday, Mayor Parker celebrated 131 Future Track trainees at their graduation ceremony. This program supports at-risk, unemployed young people, who are not enrolled in higher education, by engaging them in a multi-month training program for jobs in city services.
Mayor Parker and members of Philadelphia City Council, including Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, joined Bellevue Strategies’ client William Gray Foundation to showcase the final design proposals for the permanent exhibition honoring the legacy of Congressman William H. Gray III. The public is invited to vote on the final exhibition designs. Review the renderings and cast your vote here.
Philadelphia City Council
Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau celebrated the launch of a new grant program with $3.5 million in funding to support several community development corporations (CDCs) last week. The grant is aimed at boosting community development by covering operating expenses. Councilmember Gauthier emphasized the need for long-term and sustained support to combat displacement and economic inequality.
City Council members continue to show up for their communities this summer through celebrations, investments, and family-friendly programming across Philadelphia. Council President Kenyatta Johnson joined neighbors in Southwest Philadelphia for the grand opening of Connell Park at 64th and Elmwood—a newly revitalized green space that will serve as a hub for community gathering and recreation.
Councilmember Kendra Brooks is preparing to host her 8th Annual Autism Playdate on August 2 at Smith Memorial Playground—an inclusive, welcoming day of fun for children with autism and their families. Many Councilmembers highlighted Bellevue Strategies’ client Please Touch Museum’s upcoming Ready Set School! program this coming Sunday, July 27. This program supports young learners and their families gear up for the school year with resources and engaging educational activities.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro was in Potter County to celebrate a new grant award from the Marketing to Attract Tourists program to White Pine Country Store, Cafe & Lodge. This investment will allow the store to reopen its fuel pump for ATVs in the area. This station, located near the Northcentral Regional ATV Trail, is one of the only gas stations available in the area. The Governor’s Great American Getaway campaign puts an emphasis on Pennsylvania’s expansive outdoor and tourism industry. This investment will allow tourists to refuel and hit the Northcentral Regional ATV Trail. The Trail generated $13.1 million in revenue for Potter and Tioga counties in 2023.
Governor Shapiro continued to highlight a signature economic development program, Main Streets Matters, this week in Lewistown. The program aims to strengthen the economic development in neighborhood corridors around the Commonwealth. The Governor has also made stops in Lancaster and Chinatown earlier this year to feature the program.
In a major win for the state’s solar industry, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission announced the installation of two gigawatts of solar power energy, which will power nearly 350,000 homes across the Commonwealth.
The Governor signed two bills into law on Wednesday:
Senate Bill 475, sponsored by Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D – Montgomery County), will rename the state’s “problem-solving courts” to “treatment courts” in an effort to improve outcomes for individuals in Pennsylvania’s specialized court system who are struggling with substance abuse and mental health challenges. The bill enhances coordination with the State Supreme Court, provides additional funding, and technical assistance.
House Bill 1058, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D – Chester County), will repeal the Pennsylvania State Lottery’s profit margin from 20% to no less than 10%, increasing the net revenue of ticket sales due to the profit margin reduction.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
All is quiet in the Capitol as top negotiators continue to work towards an agreement on the Commonwealth’s FY25-26 Budget. Bellevue will share updates when leaders reach a deal.
Senator Vincent Hughes joined Bellevue client, The Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF), on Thursday afternoon to send off 50 high school students in PEF’s Scholars Advantage program. The students left Center City after Senator Hughes’ motivational speech for an overnight campus visit to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. These experiences, and the support of leaders like Senator Hughes, are core to preparing students for post-secondary success.
Next Week’s Moves
The House and Senate are not scheduled for legislative session next week. Legislators remain on-call and will return to Harrisburg when a budget agreement is reached.
♟️On The Trail: Pennsylvania’s 2026 Elections
The race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is heating up. Bob Brooks, a 20-year veteran of the Bethlehem Fire Department announced this week that he will enter the race. Brooks becomes the fourth Democrat to enter the primary in an attempt to unseat first-term congressman Ryan Mackenzie. On the Democratic side, the field includes: former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell; Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure; and Carol Obando‑Derstine, a staffer for former Senator Bob Casey.
This district remains a high-stakes battleground nationally, with both parties investing heavily into the race. The district is a true swing seat—leaning just slightly Republican and decided in 2024 by razor-thin margins. Democrats see this seat, among others, as a key battleground to winning back the House of Representatives next year.