A newly-created branch of Penn Policy Consulting Group, the Local Affairs team focused its research and advocacy efforts on combating lead poisoning in Philadelphia last fall. In Pennsylvania, 9,325 children tested positive for lead poisoning — the 2nd largest number of children testing positive among states that reported data to the CDC in 2017. Given At-large Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown’s newly-enacted bill which requires all landlords to conduct lead testing every four years on pre-1978 housing units, PPC found it imperative to ensure that the city’s lead poisoning becomes an issue of the past.

 

As such, the Local Affairs team developed a seven page policy report and accompanying presentation that was delivered to State Representatives, State Senators, and City Council members. In particular, the team met with Councilmember Mark Squilla, State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler, State Representative Democratic Whip Jordan Harris, and the Office of State Representative Brian Sims.

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The Local Affairs team is most proud, however, of its conversation with Representative Harris, in which they persuaded him to write a resolution to lower Philadelphia’s current blood lead level standard from 10 μg/dL to 5 μg/dL, complying with the national standard set by the CDC.