Gov. Shapiro Fights USDA Funding Cuts for PA Farmers, Food Banks -Governor Josh Shapiro is challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to cancel $13 million in funding for Pennsylvania farmers who supply...more
On Thursday, March 13, Mayor Cherelle Parker delivered her second annual Budget Address to the Philadelphia City Council, unveiling her $6.77 billion FY26 Budget proposal—an approximately $400 million increase over the FY25...more
3/18/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Business Taxes ,
Environmental Policies ,
Infrastructure ,
Public Safety ,
Real Estate Development ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development
Extra Funding for Hundreds of PA School Districts in Question-
Top Republican lawmakers are skeptical about Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal to allocate an additional $494 million to underfunded Pennsylvania school...more
Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order to Hire Fired Federal Workers -
Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order giving hiring preference to federal employees laid off by the Trump administration, aiming to fill 5,600...more
3/7/2025
/ Cybersecurity ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Employees ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Medicaid ,
Pennsylvania ,
Political Campaigns ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections ,
Trump Administration
PA House Committee Considers EITC to Aid Working Families -Pennsylvania’s House Finance committee is exploring the introduction of an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to support financially constrained working families, though...more
3/3/2025
/ Department of Education ,
Earned Income Credit ,
Pennsylvania ,
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Public Schools ,
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Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform ,
Unemployment
Mayor Parker Unveils “Mission 30,000” Housing Plan -
Mayor Cherelle Parker outlined her “Mission 30,000” plan to build, preserve, and repair 30,000 housing units in Philadelphia during the Chamber of Commerce for Greater...more
2/14/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Councils ,
Housing Market ,
Low Income Housing ,
Municipalities ,
Property Tax ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
Gov. Shapiro Sues Trump Admin. Over $2B Federal Funding Freeze -Governor Josh Shapiro has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for allegedly withholding over $2 billion in federal funds from Pennsylvania, despite...more
2/14/2025
/ Clean Energy ,
Energy Policy ,
Federal Funding ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Pennsylvania ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Reform ,
Trump Administration
Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Balances Bipartisan Priorities -
Governor Josh Shapiro's third budget proposal aims to balance bipartisan priorities, incorporating both Republican and Democratic interests while navigating the...more
2/10/2025
/ American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Education Reform ,
Healthcare ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Marijuana ,
Medicaid ,
Pennsylvania ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Policy ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform
On Tuesday, February 4, Governor Josh Shapiro delivered his third annual Budget Address to a joint session of the General Assembly, where he unveiled his $51.47 billion FY26 Executive Budget — marking an approximately 7.5%...more
2/6/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Economic Development ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Infrastructure ,
Marijuana ,
Pennsylvania ,
Public Safety ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets
Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Proposal to Focus on Education, Transportation, Fiscal Responsibility-
Governor Josh Shapiro's upcoming budget proposal is expected to prioritize increased funding for the state’s poorest public...more
2/4/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Pennsylvania ,
Public Schools ,
Public Transit ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Policy ,
Transportation Industry ,
Zoning Laws
Special Election Set for SD-35 Following Passing of Rep. Gergely State Rep. Matt Gergely -
(D-Allegheny) passed away last weekend, leaving the state House once again tied 101-101. A special election will be held March 25 to...more
1/24/2025
/ Ballot Measures ,
Energy Policy ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pennsylvania ,
Public Safety ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections ,
Trump Administration ,
Voting Rights
New Legislative Session Begins-
Pennsylvania lawmakers began the 2025-26 legislative session this week, with Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) reelected as House Speaker, securing the position with bipartisan support...more
1/13/2025
/ Budget Cuts ,
City Councils ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Foreign Investment ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
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Pennsylvania ,
Political Candidates ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections ,
State Legislatures ,
Transportation Industry ,
Voting Rights
Baltimore nonprofit Waves received a $2 million grant from Baltimore’s Office of Information and Technology to deploy fiber-optic networks in low-income residential buildings, aiming to bridge the city’s digital divide...more
12/19/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Broadband Internet Access Services (BIAS) ,
City Councils ,
Cloud Computing ,
Fiber Optic Cables ,
Homeless Issues ,
Housing Developers ,
Mayors ,
Migrants ,
Nonprofits ,
Property Tax ,
Public Schools ,
Public Transit ,
Remote Working ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Sanctuary Cities ,
Startups ,
State Budgets ,
Taxation ,
Wages ,
Zoning Laws
CHICAGO — CTA Launches AI Surveillance to Stop Gun Violence at Transit Stations-
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) recently rolled out an artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance tool to detect guns at stations, a move...more
9/12/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Bribery ,
Charging Stations ,
City of Chicago ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Government Officials ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Housing Developers ,
Mayors ,
Medical Debt ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
Small Business ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections ,
Strike ,
Tax Assessment ,
Teachers
The Philadelphia City Council returned today after a summer recess, with all eyes fixed on the future of the proposed Sixers arena in Center City and potential developments regarding business tax cuts based on the upcoming...more
BALTIMORE — City Council Investigates DPW Working Conditions -Baltimore City Council members criticized Department of Public Works (DPW) officials over unsafe workplace conditions following the death of a sanitation worker,...more
8/29/2024
/ Bribery ,
City Councils ,
City of Chicago ,
Eviction ,
Homeless Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Housing Developers ,
Public Employees ,
Public Health ,
Public Transit ,
Real Estate Development ,
State Budgets ,
State Taxes ,
Strike ,
Transportation Industry ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
CHICAGO — U.S. Steel South Works Site Wins Massive Quantum Project -Illinois is investing in quantum computing on the Far South Side of Chicago at the former U.S. Steel South Works plant on Lake Michigan. The goal is to...more
8/12/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Ballot Measures ,
City Councils ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Grants ,
Heat Exposure ,
Mass Shootings ,
Migrants ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State Budgets ,
Strike ,
Taxation ,
Theft ,
Wage and Hour ,
White Collar Crimes
BALTIMORE — Gig Work on the Rise in Baltimore Area-
Gig work is on the rise in the Baltimore area, becoming a predominant lifestyle choice for many individuals. The trend underscores a significant shift in employment...more
7/3/2024
/ Cell Phones ,
Charging Stations ,
Employee Rights ,
Eviction ,
Gig Economy ,
Healthcare ,
Homeless Issues ,
Migrants ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Public Schools ,
Real Estate Development ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections ,
Transportation Industry
CHICAGO — City Council Plans to Turn City Data Pain Into Tax-Revenue Gain -
Alderperson Gilbert Villegas (Ward 36), who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Economic, Capital & Technology Development, proposes 8% of the...more
6/21/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Councils ,
Fair Workweek ,
Gig Economy ,
Homeless Issues ,
Migrants ,
Minimum Wage ,
Opioid ,
Public Transportation ,
State Budgets ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
City Council Passes FY25 Budget, Nonprofit Contracting Bill-
During its last regular meeting before summer recess, City Council unanimously passed the FY25 City Budget. Council also approved a bill requiring competitive...more
In the early hours of Thursday, June 6, Philadelphia City Council advanced Mayor Cherelle Parker’s proposed $6.37 billion FY25 Budget. The budget prioritizes public safety and quality-of-life improvement without raising...more
BALTIMORE — Visiting Tech Companies Want to Expand Baltimore Presence-
The latest Techstars Equitech Accelerator brought several innovative companies to Baltimore, with founders expressing their commitment to expanding...more
6/6/2024
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
CFOs ,
Charging Stations ,
City Councils ,
Commercial Real Estate Market ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Homeless Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Local Elections ,
Mass Shootings ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Investments ,
SBA ,
School Boards ,
Service Charges ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets
FY25 Budget Will Not Include Wage, Business Tax Cuts City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (At Large) confirmed Thursday that Philadelphia’s FY25 budget will not include cuts to wage or business tax rates. This decision comes...more
CHICAGO — Ordinance Requiring City Data Be Stored in U.S. Held in Committee-
The Chicago City Council Committee on Economic, Capital & Technology Development held an ordinance requiring city data to “be processed, stored,...more
5/23/2024
/ Budget Cuts ,
City Councils ,
Green Buildings ,
Homeless Issues ,
Local Elections ,
Local Ordinance ,
Police ,
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Public Safety ,
Public Transit ,
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Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
CHICAGO — City Council to Consider Requiring Testing, Guidelines for City Government AI Tools-
Chair of Chicago City Council’s Committee on Economic, Capital & Technology Development Gilbert Villegas (Ward 36) introduced a...more
5/9/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Federal Funding ,
Homeless Issues ,
Local Elections ,
Lyft ,
Mayors ,
Political Parties ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Ridesharing ,
State Budgets ,
Transportation Industry ,
Uber ,
Vacant Properties ,
Wages