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Allegheny County Council meets now. It is set to vote on a bill that would mandate universal testing for COVID-19 at the county jail and four Kane nursing homes, as well as a proposal to ban the county police dept’s use of less-lethal weapons to control crowds/protests. @905wesa
Another bill up for a vote tonight would ban discrimination in medical treatment settings based on gender or sexual orientation. Dem Paul Klein intro the bill in June, after the Trump Admin said it would roll back such protections for transgender people at the fed level @905wesa
The transgender health protections bill passes 15-0. @905wesa
Council is now discussing the less-lethal weapons bill. Dem Nick Futules doesn't support it: “It’s a safety factor for private property, other people actually there in protesting lines.” And he says, “our police force did a great job" in responding to local protests. @905wesa
“The status quo is untenable,” says Dem bill co-sponsor Bethany Hallam. She says government needs to invest in social services and other community supports, not weapons for law enforcement. @905wesa
R Cindy Kirk accuses Hallam of “hyperbole” bc, Kirk says, Hallam likened some crowd-control/less-lethal weapons to munitions used in warfare @905wesa
Dems Paul Klein and DeWitt Walton say they will not vote for the less-lethal weapons bill. Both have been leading voices for police accountability in the form of a countywide police review board. @905wesa
Some councilors suggest that the use of lethal-lethal devices could be a matter for the proposed police review board to weigh in on @905wesa
Council votes against the less-lethal devices bill 12-3. Only Dems Liv Bennett, Bethany Hallam, and Anita Prizio voted for it. @905wesa
Now, council will take up the bill that would mandate COVID-19 testing for all staff and occupants at the county jail and four Kane nursing homes. @905wesa
Background here: https://www.wesa.fm/post/mass-testing-bill-gets-thumbs-down-county-council-committee#stream/0
Hallam introduces an amendment to offer COVID-19 testing for all county employees - a proposal similar to one that failed to get the backing of the public safety committee last week @905wesa https://www.wesa.fm/post/hallam-seeks-extend-covid-19-testing-all-county-employees
The difference this time, Hallam says, is that the previous amendment would have required the testing for employees, rather than making it optional. Testing would be voluntary under the amendment Hallam introduced tonight. @905wesa
