Philadelphia City Council creates limbo status for legislation

Philadelphia City Council has created a place to put bills they aren’t going to address for an extended period of time. A bill mandating sick leave for all city workers is among the first to drop into limbo.

The Suspension Calendar as it is called was created by a resolution. Even though it stops public comment on bills otherwise open for debate, Council President Anna Verna said that is not why it was created.

“I didn’t say that now, don’t put words in my mouth don’t put words in my mouth this is the way it’s going to be,” Verna said.

One of the first bills on the calendar is legislation calling for sick days for all workers in Philadelphia. Councilman Bill Greenlee said the bill has been put in limbo so work can be done without weekly speeches during the public comment portion of Council’s weekly meeting.

“Rather than having people come in every week and basically saying the same thing, we said let’s lower the temperature a bit let’s get it on the suspension calendar we firmly believe we are going to have the votes to pass this bill,” said Greenlee.

Greenlee said he doesn’t know when the bill will come up for a vote.