Philadelphia House Delegation supports work of Stop and Go Legislative Task Force
Task force convened two days of hearings at City Hall
Rep. Anthony Bellmon July 17, 2024 | 12:45 PM
PHILADELPHIA, July 17 – As the Stop and Go Legislative Task Force completes their two days of public hearings at City Hall, the Philadelphia House Delegation voiced their support of the group’s work to put an end to the nuisance establishments in the city.
The task force convened two days of public input from law enforcement, state agencies, local officials, business owners and residents. Stop and Gos are convenience stores or neighborhood delis that also sell beer and liquor, usually without the proper licensing and oversight. People who purchase the alcohol can consume it right outside of the establishment.
Chairwoman of the Philadelphia House Delegation, Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., has been working to end nuisance establishments in her community her entire legislative career. “We have had success in limited and localized situations, but we need a citywide solution with state-level assistance that brings all parties to the table for a multipronged solution to these nuisance establishments that drain the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”
State Rep. Anthony Bellmon, D-Phila., is the House Democratic appointee to the Task Force. “Nearly every community in our city has been affected in some way by a stop-and-go store or deli,” said Bellmon. “The input that we received in these hearings is incredibly valuable to the charge of this task force, as we work to find a state-level remedy for these establishments – resolving quality-of-life complaints while supporting our legitimate local business owners.”
The Stop and Go Legislative Task Force was created through Act 49 of 2023 and began their work in earnest in 2024 to produce a report with recommendations for regulations within Philadelphia. This task force is comprised of members of the state House and Senate, an appointee of the governor and an ex-officio member of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, that is tasked with addressing issues around stop-and-go establishments in Philadelphia. This week’s hearings were chaired by former Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, a member of the task force, in the absence of the task force chairman, state Sen. Anthony H. Williams, D-Phila./Delaware.