Pittsburgh voters approve series of ballot referendums

Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday supported a series of ballot referendums that will determine whether the city can discriminate in its business dealings, prohibit the use of the Home Rule Charter amendment process to add rules that conflict with federal or state laws, and bar the city from selling or leasing its water and sewer systems to private entities.

The first referendum asked voters to determine whether the city’s Home Rule Charter should prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, disability, place of birth, national origin or affiliation with any nation or foreign state in conducting business with the city.

Nearly 69% of voters were supportive of the measure with about 91% of precincts reporting unofficial Allegheny County election returns showed. Nearly 32% voted against it.

City Council voted to place that question on the ballot in response to a pro-Palestinian group that pushed to bar the city from doing business with any company that has ties to Israel. Some officials raised concerns such a prohibition would grind Pittsburgh to a halt, as it would keep the city from doing business with car manufacturers, tech giants and other essential companies.

Another question, also in response to the anti-Israel effort, asked voters to prohibit using the Home Rule Charter amendment process to add rules that conflict with federal or state laws.

That referendum received support from about 56% of voters.

A third ballot question asked voters to decide whether the city should be barred from leasing or selling its water and sewer systems to private entities received support from over 78% of voters, according to unofficial election tallies.

The city’s charter currently would allow Pittsburgh to sell those utilities to private companies or individuals.