Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced legislation “amending Chapter 19-2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Business Income and Receipts Taxes,” to reinstate and revise the Sustainable Business Tax Credit by increasing the total tax credit amount, by extending the tax year through which the tax credit is made available, and by increasing the number of businesses eligible to receive the tax credit.”
The bill would reinstate tax credits worth up to $4000 against the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) for eligible sustainable businesses. Originally instituted in 2009, the Sustainable Business Tax Credit (SBTC) expired in 2009.
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Information provided by Gauthier’s office said she wants to make the SBTC permanent and would expand the credit to $8000. Eligible businesses must be a “B Corp” or meet the Office of Sustainability’s definition of a “Sustainable Business.”
Johnson Wants Regular Fiscal Health Meetings
On behalf of Council President Johnson, Majority Leader Katharine Gilmore Richardson introduced a resolution “authorizing the Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation to hold quarterly hearings that include monthly reporting requirements, to discuss the fiscal position and overarching social impact goals of the City, including and as related to the Five-Year Plan and the reporting requirements set forth in the Quarterly City Manager’s Report (“QCMR”) and as submitted to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (“PICA”).”
The resolution comes as American Recovery Plan (ARPA) funding is set to be spent by the end of the year. At the same time, the city still works to fully recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Citing the need for transparent and vigilant stewardship of city finances, the meetings will provide “regular assessment of the City’s fiscal position and its impact on broader societal goals, including poverty reduction, public safety, health, education, and economic progress, is crucial for effective governance and policy-making.”
Kensington Caucus Hearing Proposed
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada introduced a resolution “authorizing the Special Committee on Kensington to convene and investigate the processes and effectiveness of the current and past diversion programs in relation to individuals suffering from substance use disorder in the Kensington area.”
Referencing the opioid crisis that has disproportionately affected Kensington, where over 40% of the city’s opioid-related deaths occur, the resolution notes those who enter diversion programs rather than incarceration are 30% less likely to re-offend compared to those who did not receive treatment.
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One example of a diversion program is the Philadelphia Treatment Court, which has existed since 1997 and combines treatment programs and judicial supervision for specific individuals. Currently, the program has 128 actively engaged and another 187 receiving case management services.
O’Rourke Calls on Commonwealth to Abolish Capital Punishment
Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke introduced a resolution “calling on the Pennsylvania State Senate to pass House Bill 999, also known as the Death Penalty Repeal Bill, to abolish the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
While the Commonwealth has not carried out an execution since 1999, capital punishment remains a legal form of punishment in Pennsylvania, with 96 individuals currently sitting on death row.
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Serious racial disparities are apparent in capital sentencing; the resolution mentions the 1931 case of Alexander McClay Williams, who was sentenced to death at age 16 and later executed after being found guilty by an all-white jury. His trial lasted less than a day, and his conviction was posthumously vacated 91 years later.
Furthermore, since 2002, 11 death sentences have been vacated due to DNA evidence, and 50 others have had death sentences reversed due to serious legal errors found to have occurred during their trials.
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