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After late-night debates, constitutional amendments advance

As they pushed through the budget, lawmakers in the state House and Senate also passed bills advancing five contentious constitutional amendments.

• Declaring abortion is not a protected right is one proposed change. The others: require voter ID; require election audits; expand the General Assembly’s power to reject regulations; join gov and lt. gov on one ticket.

These would all need another floor vote next session, but could go to voters as soon as spring 2023. House Democrats vociferously objected to the late-night moves, but the Republican majority overruled.

Does Philly really have the world’s largest mobile Ferris wheel?

The pop-up park at The Oval this year touts the slogan “Philadelphia’s largest outdoor urban oasis.” Also big: the Ferris wheel.

• Called “The Grand Wheel,” the ride is 108 feet tall, which is impressive. But press releases identified it as the “largest mobile Ferris wheel in the world.”

Emily White looked into that, and — despite the great views it offers of the Art Museum and skyline — found the claim isn’t anywhere close to true.

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• PICA, the state authority that approves Philadelphia’s five-year spending plans, got a 25-year-extension to provide what local officials say is welcome financial oversight. [WHYY]
• The Philadelphia Historical Commission officially voted Friday to designate a stretch of Christian Street as Black Doctors Row. It was home to many Black doctors, teachers, and small business owners in the early 1900s. [Tribune$]
• PHL Airport says the $24 million in bathroom bucks it’s getting from the federal infrastructure bill will fund 30 restroom renovations, two totally new restrooms, some lactation rooms, animal relief areas, and increased accessibility. [Axios]
• After the owners were charged with tax fraud, Original Tony Luke’s on Oregon Avenue is changing its name to “Tony’s and Nick’s Steaks” to reduce confusion with the unaffiliated Tony Luke’s franchise. [WHYY/PhillyVoice]
• Philly is “definitely on a list” of potential cities to host a future WNBA franchise, per Commissioner (and Philadelphia-area native) Cathy Engelbert. Philadelphians already have plenty of ideas for what the team could be called. [NBCs Philly/Billy Penn]
• Phillies players Bohm, Realmuto, Nola, and Gibson won’t travel to the upcoming series in Toronto because they’re not fully vaccinated against COVID. “I’m not going to let Canada tell me what I do and don’t put in my body,” said the Phillies starting catcher. [NBCS Philly/Phillies Nation]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Kenney, whose father was a firefighter, speaks at the graduation ceremony for 76 new members of the Philadelphia Fire Department (10 a.m.).

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