Philadelphia City Council’s majority leadership, including Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District), Councilman Bobby Henon (6th District), Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown (At Large) and William K. Greenlee (At Large), recently penned a commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer warning that House Bill 2241, currently under consideration in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, threatens the rights of local communities to develop their own policy and budgetary solutions for their constituents.
Read the commentary in its entirety on philly.com. Excerpts are posted below:
House Bill 2241, which is scheduled for second consideration on Tuesday, would restrict any political subdivision from imposing a fee, surcharge, or tax on any food and beverage, or the delivery, acquisition, or distribution of any food and beverage, or food and beverage container. This bill not only threatens the ongoing expansion of pre-K, but funding for the School District of Philadelphia as well by way of the liquor-by-the-drink tax – which was affirmed with state-enabling legislation….
This bill attacks the right of local communities trying to solve their own problems, potentially threatening a host of innovative local policy and budget solutions throughout the commonwealth….
Meanwhile, thousands of low-income children who are receiving the quality education and care they need to get a great start in life could see their futures threatened.
This preemption legislation cannot be justified on policy grounds, on economic grounds, or on moral grounds. I urge every Pennsylvanian who supports universal pre-K, as well as local solutions to address enormous challenges like generational poverty, to contact their representatives in the General Assembly and urge a NO vote on HB 2241.
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