Pittsburgh Councilwoman Erika Strassburger announced legislation on Tuesday seeking to amend the city code to ban employment discrimination against pregnant individuals, their partners and those seeking pregnancy.

The legislation gives pregnancy its own class in existing work anti-discrimination law and would extend protection to parties involved before, during, and after gestation and would apply regardless of whether a pregnancy resulted in a live birth. Strassburger said an explicit protection was necessary to ensure pregnant workers and their employees understood their rights and responsibilities in the workplace as many federal regulations allowed for loopholes. 

Pittsburgh’s McFarren Street Bridge can look forward to a series of repairs this year, much to the relief of residents. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced the reconstruction would be the first done under the city’s Clean Construction guidelines. 

When Peduto still sat on Pittsburgh City Council in 2011, he introduced legislation intended to limit diesel fuel emissions in the air. Under the law any city government construction project over $2.5 million is required to use diesel particulate filters and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in power trucks and other equipment. The McFarren Street Bridge will be the first time since Peduto’s council days that the law will be enforced. 

Flanked by residents and affordable housing advocates Pittsburgh Councilmember Deb Gross announced inclusionary housing legislation Tuesday morning. In an ever-changing city, activists and elected officials have struggled to find a way to help the most vulnerable residents keep their homes when businesses move in and prices go up. 

When speaking of Lawrenceville, the neighborhood the legislation is focused on, Gross told press conference attendees that the development has unfortunately come at a price. 

After a December fire damaged pollution control equipment at Clairton Coke Works, the air quality suffered so much that the Allegheny County Health Department issued an advisory to residents in the area to limit their time spent outdoors. Although residents remain frustrated about the perceived lack of transparency on the county’s part, for Pittsburgh environmental groups another cause for anger was that by continuing to operate despite the damaged equipment U.S. Steele--the facility’s owner--is violating the Clean Air Act.

At Councilwoman Darlene Harris’ (D-District 1) request on Tuesday,  Pittsburgh City Council heard from a panel of gun advocates, legal experts, and elected officials for added perspective on their much debated gun control legislation. However, after almost three hours that evoked high emotions and little reconciliation, the only thing clear was that both sides of the gun debate in the Steele City feel that they’re under attack.