Moves on the Board: March 16 - 20, 2026
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♟️ CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Following last week's budget rollout, the Parker administration will defend the city's fiscal year 2027 spending plan in City Council hearings beginning next week.
Mayor Cherelle Parker spent much of this week in Washington, D.C., where she participated in two events at the National League of Cities' Congressional Cities Conference. She joined the America 250 panel, where she spotlighted Philadelphia's preparations for the nation's semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026 and offered the city's experience as a model for other municipalities planning their own commemorations of America's 250th anniversary.
Parker also addressed the conference's Strategic Partnerships Luncheon, a gathering of more than 100 business leaders convened to examine effective civic governance and cross-sector collaboration in service of local communities.
Back in Philadelphia, the mayor spoke at the Keeping It 100 Luncheon, held at the Downtown Club, celebrating the contributions of women leaders across the city.
On Friday, Mayor Parker joined state officials, community partners, and the Philadelphia Eagles for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated Kingsessing Recreation Center — marking the completion of Rebuild Philadelphia's $27 million investment in one of the city's oldest recreational facilities.
Philadelphia City Council
This week, City Council held three committee hearings focused on workforce, city services, and economic activity. The Committee on Labor and Civil Service reviewed workforce and civil service-related issues. At the same time, the Committee on Streets and Services focused on neighborhood quality-of-life concerns, including sanitation and right-of-way use. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development examined legislation related to small businesses and commercial corridor activity.
Philadelphia City Council held its regular stated meeting on Thursday, advancing a mix of housing-related legislation and routine measures. Most notably, a planned vote on the “Safe Healthy Homes Act”—a package of tenant protection bills introduced by Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke—was postponed following a last-minute legal challenge from landlords. The legislation is intended to strengthen renter protections, including requirements for landlords to make repairs, prevent retaliation against tenants who file complaints, and establish more proactive inspection and enforcement mechanisms. Councilmember Gauthier also introduced legislation to restrict zoning on five existing public schools - four of which are on the school closure list - in her district to ensure that the properties remained schools or public-serving institutions. Two of the schools were being considering for housing under the District’s and Administration’s plans. In addition to those bills, Council introduced a variety of resolutions honoring women for Women’s History Month.
Next Week’s Moves
Coming Up:
Budget hearings begin next Tuesday, March 24, with the Five-Year Plan and Capital Program. On Wednesday, March 25, the budget discussions will include the Department of Finance, Department of Revenue, City Treasurer & Sinking Fund, and the Board of Pensions.
For the most up-to-date budget schedule and relevant documents, please visit the FY27 City Council Budget Center.
Public testimony and public comment on the Tax Bills previously scheduled for next week have been postponed to April 21.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
Governor Josh Shapiro announced a $10 million investment to support TerraPower Isotopes, a nuclear science company, to set up a facility in the Bellwether District of Philadelphia. This is the second major tenant at the home of the former Sunoco refinery, joining DrinkPak who announced its investment late last year. TerraPower Isotopes selected the location over 49 other markets, and will be investing $450 million, and the plan is expected to create 225 new full-time jobs over three years.
The Governor delivered remarks at the 2026 Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Annual Meeting this week. He highlighted his Administration’s major economic victories and his goal to continue to grow Pennsylvania’s economy. The Shapiro Administration has secured over $40.4 billion in private-sector investments, creating more than 22,000 jobs in the last three years. The Lehigh Valley has been a big beneficiary of these investments, with companies such as Kerry Group, Schless Bottles, and Eli Lilly & Company setting up facilities in the Valley.
Attorney General Dave Sunday joined Governor Josh Shapiro for a roundtable discussion in West Chester, PA, this week with legislators, educators, experts, parents, and students to discuss the Commonwealth’s plan to protect Pennsylvanians from predatory practices in artificial intelligence. The administration has announced three steps to better support residents as they interact with AI: the launch of an AI Literacy Toolkit; the creation of an AI Enforcement Task Force to handle formal complaints; and coordination with the Attorney General’s office to strengthen consumer protections related to AI chatbots.
Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania Senate was in Harrisburg this week for a voting session from Monday, March 16 to Wednesday, March 18. The House Energy and House Republican Policy Committees held public hearings this week as well.
Legislative Movement:
The Senate passed three bills out of the chamber this week. All three bills are now in House Committees, awaiting movement.
Senate Bill 802: Communication Impairment Designation on Driver’s Licenses
Senate Bill 867: Resolving Pennsylvania’s Accessibility Code Dilemma
Senate Bill 1218: Liquor Code Amendments for Philadelphia 250
Committee News:
House:
The House Energy Committee held a public hearing on Monday, March 16th, to discuss HB 2223 and HB 2264. HB 2223 requires Advanced Transmission Technologies (ATTs) to be integrated into all new transmission lines within the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) jurisdiction. If implemented, ATTs would ease power congestion within the Commonwealth, decrease the need for line renovation over time, and increase grid reliability. Testimony for HB 2223 was provided by PEW Charitable Trusts, CTC Global, and Grid Strategies, LLC. HB 2264 would require Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs) to create virtual power plant programs. Virtual power plant programs coordinate power usage from technologies that can adjust energy use and production in response to demand on the power grid. Testimony for HB 2264 was provided by Advanced Energy United, NRG Energy, and the Industrial Energy Consumers of Pennsylvania.
The House Republican Policy Committee held a public hearing, “Built in Pennsylvania – Workforce Development in the Trades.” The members of the Committee discussed methods to boost trade participation to meet labor demand in the skilled trades and manufacturing sectors. The committee and testifiers discussed the need to destigmatize manufacturing careers and skilled trades. Furthermore, the committee sought to convey to its constituents that these jobs will not be offshored or replaced by artificial intelligence. According to the testifiers, the automation that has typically displaced manufacturing jobs has created opportunities for higher-value positions within the industry. The committee also examined the logistical constraints of CTE education in the Commonwealth. To alleviate waitlists, which can be as high as twice the program's enrollment at certain locations, testifiers advocated for larger classroom sizes, expanded schools, and additional teachers to support an expanding student population.
Senate:
The Senate Health & Human Services Committee held a public hearing this week on the use of prescribed narcotics in medication-assisted therapy for addiction management. The committee heard testimony from several industry experts who agreed that addiction is a treatable condition, and FDA-approved medications such as methadone and buprenorphine are highly effective. There was some debate during the hearing about the accessibility of medication-assisted therapy. Lawmakers also discussed policy issues, including involuntary treatment and harm reduction.
Next Week’s Moves
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate will be in Harrisburg next week for a joint voting session from Monday, March 23 to Wednesday, March 25.
♟️ON THE TRAIL
Pennsylvania House Special Elections
Pennsylvania House District 79
Andrea Verobish (R), a former Army National Guard member and field representative for Congressman Glenn Thompson, has been elected to serve House District 79 in Blair County after winning a special election on March 17. The district represents part of Blair County, including the City of Altoona, and Allegheny and Logan Townships. Verobish defeated Democratic candidate Caleb McCoy by a margin of 57.4 to 42.2. The seat was formally held by Representative Lou Schmitt, who resigned from the House at the end of last year. Verobish has had a long history of public service, including working with local schools and universities, a local community partnership organization, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and as a Legislative Aide for former state Senator John H. Eichelberger. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Public Administration from Gannon University.
Pennsylvania House District 193
Catherine Wallen (R), District Director for Representative Torren Ecker and the owner of Orchard Views LLC, has been elected to serve House District 193 in Adams and Cumberland County after winning a special election on March 17. The seat was previously held by her former boss, Rep. Ecker, who recently resigned from the House at the end of last year. Wallen defeated Democratic candidate Todd Crawley by a margin of 59.5 to 40.1. Born and raised in Adams County, Wallen currently owns and operates a local farm in York Springs and has spent the last 8 eight years as District Director for the 193rd Legislative District. She serves on the board of Businesswomen of Gettysburg and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Adams County Farm Bureau.
Federal Races
Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District
Dr. Dave Oxman, a medical professional at Thomas Jefferson University, has suspended his campaign for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District. Oxman announced his endorsement of Dr. Ala Stanford for the Democratic Party nomination. Stanford has also received the endorsement from Congressman Dwight Evans, who currently holds the seat and is retiring at the end of this term. Stanford is currently in a crowded primary race with State Senator Sharif Street, State Rep. Morgan Cephas, State Rep. Chris Rabb, Cole Carter, Karl Morris, and Naderah Griffin.