Moves on the Board: Week of June 16 - 20, 2025
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Mayor Parker concluded her ‘One Philly 2.0 Budget’ town halls on Monday, June 16. If you’re interested in urban environmental policy, the Parker administration unveiled the 2025 Climate Action Update this week, highlighting a 31% reduction in carbon emissions citywide. One of the signature initiatives improving Philadelphia’s carbon footprint is the Philadelphia Streetlight Improvement Project, spearheaded by Bellevue Strategies’ client, The Philadelphia Energy Authority. This project will cross the finish line by converting all city streetlamps to LED lights later this fall.
The city is erecting a new statue in honor of Sadie T. M. Alexander, a Philadelphia trailblazer who was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Economics in the United States. Over the past year, CreativePHL has held a public art competition to select the artist and design for the new statue. Mayor Parker joined the public design presentation meeting on Tuesday, June 17. The winning artist is expected to be selected at the end of July. The public can vote on the statue’s final designs through this survey.
On Wednesday, June 18, Mayor Parker, joined by Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington and her administration, hosted an event to launch the city’s summer meal program for students 18 and younger. Meal accessibility can be especially challenging when young people are out of school during the summer. You can access a directory using the city's map to find free food or nutritional services in your neighborhood. Mayor Parker announced the recipients of the city’s 2025 Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants on Wednesday, June 18. A complete list of recipients can be found here.
Philadelphia City Council
Philadelphia City Council is on summer recess until Thursday, September 11.
Next Week’s Moves
Coming Up: Next week, all eyes move to Harrisburg as the General Assembly and Governor negotiate a state budget.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
On Monday, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy Walker joined high school students at Rider Park for the first day of their summer jobs. These students are employed through MY Work, a program aimed at helping students with disabilities find summer employment. The Governor proposed a $5 million increase to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, which supports this program and other services to people of all ages with disabilities.
Lt. Governor Austin Davis joined representatives from SEPTA on Tuesday to highlight the importance of fully funding mass transit throughout the Commonwealth. He highlighted public transportation's essential roles in creating jobs and growing local economies. This visit coincided with the House passing the Governor’s plan to fully fund mass transit in all 67 counties fully.
Governor Josh Shapiro joined local leaders in Lancaster on Wednesday to highlight investments in affordable housing through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) award. He announced that $73 million will be awarded across all counties to support repairing and constructing affordable housing units.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
On Tuesday, June 17th, the House passed HB 1364 – the Governor’s public transit funding package – on third consideration. The vote in favor of final passage was 107-96. HB 1364 increases the Sales and Use Tax allocated to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4% to 6.15%. This allocation would grow to 7.9% starting on June 30th, 2028. HB 1364 also authorizes the bonding of $500M for road and bridge projects throughout the Commonwealth. HB 1364 has now been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.
On Tuesday, June 17th, the House Appropriations Committee amended HB 1331, which provides for the capital budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. Specifically, new line item authorizations were provided for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant. More authorizations are anticipated in the House, and then HB 1331 will be sent to the Senate for additional inclusions.
Senator Art Haywood hosted a virtual press conference on Wednesday, June 17th with Hunger-Free Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) to highlight the impact of proposed budget cuts in H.R. 1. Stuart Haniff from Hunger-Free Pennsylvania discussed how SNAP cuts would impact the Commonwealth, while Erin Gabriel from PHAN illustrated how the budget cuts would affect Pennsylvanians reliant on Medicaid. Senator Haywood urged Pennsylvanians to contact their Congressperson and Senators to advocate for SNAP and Medicaid funding.
Next Week’s Moves
The House and Senate will be in Harrisburg from Monday, June 23, to Monday, June 30, for a voting session as they continue budget negotiations.