Philadelphia City Council Committee on Law and Government, 24 Apr 2017

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From YouTube: Councilman Green Speaks on Bill Enhancing Penalties on Businesses That Discriminate 4-24-2017

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From the hearing of the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Law and Government held Monday, April 24, 2017:

Councilman Derek Green (At Large) speaks on Bill No. 170334, his legislation to enhance penalties against businesses that discriminate against their employees, tenants, or customers.

Prompted by public outcry about discrimination in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood and release of a video showing a business owner employing racial slurs, Green introduced legislation to further empower the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (“PCHR”), which has jurisdiction to investigate accusations of discrimination and rectify proven instances.

If passed, the bill would enable the PCHR to issue cease operations orders against businesses that have been found to have engaged in repeated or severe violations of the existing Fair Practices Ordnance, which prevents discrimination, including against those who use their public accommodation, in their employ, or who rent from them.

The bill was approved by the Committee and now moves to the full City Council for a vote.

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Thank you, the Chairman Greenlee, it's very important that this legislation this discussion today happened this body over many decades has been a strong advocate for progressive issues and policies in the cities. But often else has been a national leader, especially in years ago, when counseling green leaves, former boss is no longer witness: Councilman David Cohen, my former boss, councilman tasco Lake Council and John Anderson and former counsel on hell. Ortiz.

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Many of them have been involved in fights that we've had in this body on these chamber floors regarding the issue of progressive rights and LGBTQ I'm concerns and really allowed this body to go into the forefront and a lead legislative body in the nation to address some of these concerns and issues in this city. And so, although we've moved quite forward in addressing a lot of these issues as a body and in the City of Brotherly, Love and sisterly affection issues still remain and as I had opportunity to participate, both in me or I'm.

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Listening to the testimony as the foot of the Commission human relations hearing last fall, and this learn more and more about this issue. From the perspective of prevention advocates and others in the community, I was concerned that, although we've moved so far, we still have a long way to go to address issues like this, and so this legislation is a way to address this faq.

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So we make sure that going forward, we don't have people who visit our city where we live in our city, not feeling comfortable in the establishment that operate in the city of philadelphia and considering where we are the country as a nation of the city. We need to make sure that we're sending the message to all people in the cities without their regardless of your ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation perspective that we are welcoming city, that the city is filled out there.

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The city of brotherly love and sister eulah sisterly affection, that we invite all people to participate in our economy and to be able to grow and prosper in the city of Fidel phia. Believe this legislation is one way to ensuring that and making sure that all people in our city and all visits to our city have that perspective. Thank you. Thank You, councilman.