Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 110050.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Fair Practices," by changing the title to "Fair Practices Ordinance: Protections Against Unlawful Discrimination," by replacing "handicap" with disability as a protected status, by adding domestic or sexual violence victim status, familial status, and genetic information to the prohibited bases for discrimination; by amending the definition of discrimination, employer, life partnership, public accommodation and other terms, and by adding or deleting 3/10/11 - STATED - 2ND READING other definitions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
I'm sorry. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee.
Thank you, Madam President. I'll be brief, but I believe the importance of this bill merits a few quick words. The passage of this bill, which updates the City fair practices or anti-discrimination laws, mean that all Philadelphians have the right to have discrimination-related issues dealt with in the City, where many times before they would have to go to the state or federal agencies to get relief. 3/10/11 - STATED - 2ND READING This is particularly important to a number of groups, but particularly to the LBGT community, who in the past many of their issues were not fully covered under our fair practices laws. I want to note that this bill was painstakingly put together over a long period of time, and it was an instance where the Administration and Council worked very cooperatively together to get this bill right, and I think it's important to note the efforts of three women who are in the room today who really worked on this bill to get it to its final passage. So I want to note the efforts of Rue Landau, the exceptional Executive Director of the Human Relations Commission; Kay Kyungsun Yu, who I probably just messed up her name, the Chair of the Human Relations Commission; and Reynell Staley, the counsel to the Commission. I'm proud to have been the chief co-sponsor of this bill, and I urge 3/10/11 - STATED - 2ND READING all members to support it. Thank you, Madam President. (Applause.)
Thank you. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. (Applause.)
An ordinance amending Section 2 of an Ordinance (Bill No. 060317), entitled "An ordinance authorizing and directing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 275 by extending Parker Avenue from its current terminus on the northeasterly side of a 66 foot wide right-of-way for railroad purposes," by extending the period for compliance with the terms and conditions stated therein.
This bill having been read on two different 3/10/11 - STATED - 2ND READING days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 110071.
An ordinance amending Section 2 of an Ordinance approved November 13, 2002, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 258 by striking from City Plan and vacating Brill Street from Torresdale Avenue to Harbison Avenue," by extending the period for compliance with the terms and conditions stated therein.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. 3/10/11 - STATED - 2ND READING We will now consider Bill No. 110084.
An ordinance amending Chapter 1, Subcode "PM" (The Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code) of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, by amending Section PM-102, entitled "Licensing," to provide for exemptions for certain vacant property uses; and by amending Section A-906 of Subcode "A," entitled "Property Maintenance Code Fees," to reduce the license fees charged to own a vacant lot, vacant building or vacant wharf.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Clerk will please read any additional resolutions on today's Calendar.
There are no other resolutions on the Passage Calendar today, Madam President.
Thank you. Then that concludes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. This morning I rise to speak to what was done in the cloak of darkness last night in Wisconsin, which was the stripping of the collective bargaining rights of union members in that state. In my district, I probably have the largest number of union workers of any other District Councilperson, except the 10th. What was done there affected many people. And who are these people? They are police, firefighters, sanitation workers, people who collect the trash, librarians, recreation leaders, grounds keepers, social workers, Water Department workers and everyday middle-class people who rely on those benefits and wages to support their families. They do things that we see every day and things that we don't see, because they do that in the cloak of darkness too, underground, taking care of our vital infrastructure. What happens in one state can happen in other states, and when there's a threat to justice one place, there's a threat to justice everywhere. And this legislation is now being proposed in states like Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and other places around the city (sic). It seems curious to me that they do this in the wake of the next presidential election to weaken unions' interesting to note that in the private sector, only seven percent of the workforce is represented by unions, and in the public sector, 37 percent of the workforce is represented by the collective bargaining agreements around the country. I know that we have a budget problem at the federal, state and here in Philadelphia, but we cannot vilify, vilify labor to balance these budget priorities on the backs of the middle class, and I want us to -- I want to thank our unions here and thank the Administration here for not choosing that course of action as was done in Wisconsin. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez.
Thank you, Madam President. As many of you know, the U.S. House of Representatives is holding hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims. I believe this plays into the hateful stereotyping of millions of law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans, many who live in Philadelphia. I think it's important that this Council let the people of Philadelphia know that we do not condone these hearings and we appreciate the important contributions of Muslim Americans to this country and this city. We will be having a press conference immediately following this session directly outside the Council Chambers. There, I will be joined by Rabbi George Stern, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Mohammed Aziz from the Muslim Society of America, Reverend Adan Mairena from West Kensington Ministries, David Broida from the Jewish Social Policy Network. I ask you to join me in this public statement as Philadelphia, the City who has grown proves again, the diversity of this city and that we are tolerant, and as the cradle of independence, we will not accept this. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. First I'd like to salute and recognize Jim Reed, who, as is his custom, has returned from a long illness and say on the record I am eternally grateful for him when he and others gave me a chance at the West Philadelphia Partnership to be the Executive Director there. Jim Reed from Verizon is here with us this morning. (Applause.)
Secondly, briefly, I stand to echo the thoughtful and relevant comments of Councilman Jones regarding collective bargaining rights, mindful and continue to do what Councilwoman Tasco says all the time, pay attention as we watch the incidents and circumstances in Wisconsin and Ohio. Finally, Madam President, I share comments shared by President Barack Obama on the occasion of the celebration of Women's History Month, briefly. Stated by President Barack Obama, We reflect on the extraordinary accomplishments of women and honor their role in shaping the course of our nation's history. Today, women have reached heights their mothers and grandmothers might only have imagined. Women now comprise nearly half of our workforce and majority of students in our colleges and universities. They scale the skies as astronauts, expand our economy as entrepreneurs and business leaders, and serve our country at the highest levels of government and our armed forces. pioneering women who came before us and in recognition of those who come after us, this month we recommit to erasing the remaining inequities facing women in our day, end quote. I will speak more about the remaining inequities women face later in this month, but I would like to invite my colleagues to join Moxie Women Celebration next Friday, Madam President, where you know we will be saluting you for your 50 years of service and for shattering the ceiling of leadership here in the Philadelphia City Council. So I invite my colleagues to join us Friday, March 18th at the Penn's Landing Hyatt there for lunch, where we will celebrate and lift up our profile of courage awardee Honorable Anna C. Verna, President of Philadelphia City Council. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you, Madam President. I would like to continue the comments that Councilwoman Sanchez made relative to these hearings, these congressional hearings that have been orchestrated by Congressman Peter King in New York. The thing that saddens me, in addition to the vitriol and nastiness that Mr. King tends to approach his issues with, is that apparently he is an American of Irish descent, clearly does not know the history of his people both in Ireland and here in the United States where in the 1840's we were vilified and discriminated against in employment and many other areas, of housing and other things, because of our different language -- at the time, many Irish people spoke Gaelic instead of English -and because we were told not to apply for need apply. Mr. King's remarks on immigration and now regarding this particular issue to me is reminiscent of McCarthyism. And apparently Senator McCarthy didn't know the history of his own people either, because if they would stop and think about the discrimination that many folks in this country have experienced, they may think twice about bringing more hatred and more animosity into our discussions and into our speech. And I apologize. All Irish Americans do not think like Representative King and Senator McCarthy. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I certainly agree with the comments made by my colleagues, and I will only make one quote that I many, many years ago, and whether it be race, religion, whether it be origin, any of these issues and even those labor issues that were talked about this morning, Angela Davis said, and I quote, If they come for me in the morning, they'll come for you at night. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Does anyone else want to be recognized? (No response.)
Seeing no one, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 17th, 10:00 a.m., 2011. (Duly seconded.)
It seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March the 17th at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 11:10 a.m.) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on March 10, 2011, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)