JustLaws Scores Unexpected Legislative Victory
Philadelphia, January 24, 2013: JustLaws’ client Scenic Philadelphia is the lead organization working for the defeat of Bill 120920, known as the Electric Factory wall wrap bill. After the bill passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 16 to 1, JustLaws and Scenic Philadelphia went to work on a strategy to reverse the Council vote. We persuaded the Mayor to once again veto this legislation and prompted the key federal and state agencies to issue strongly worded letters clarifying the financial penalties facing the city if the Mayor’s veto is overturned.
Today City Council was expected to vote overwhelmingly to override Mayor Nutter’s veto of the Electric Factory digital wall bill (Bill No. 120920), but today’s Council session didn’t go according to the script. The letters from the Federal Highway Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation caused many Councilmembers to rethink their support for the legislation and the bill’s sponsor decided to hold off on a vote.
Mary Tracy, Scenic Philadelphia’s Executive Director, credited JustLaws with this victory: “We don’t think we could have accomplished this victory without the help of JustLaws. JustLaws helped us navigate the inner workings of City Council and formulate a winning strategy.”