2020–2026 · Allegheny County
24 accomplishments
Councilwoman Hallam introduced and moved passage of a law bringing federal protections against sexual abuse into county jail rules.
Justin Vellucci / TribLive
Bethany’s ordinance requires the Jail Oversight Board to be notified within 48 hours of a reported rape. It became law in June 2026.
Bethany co-sponsored new requirements for large county contracts, which became law in March 2026.
Bethany backed changes to the rules governing the county’s purchasing and contracting process. The procurement ordinance she co-sponsored became law in March 2026.
Bethany introduced a law limiting county cooperation with ICE and the use of county resources for immigration enforcement.
The ordinance she introduced became law in March 2026. It restricts the county’s role in federal immigration enforcement, subject to legal exceptions.
Bethany co-sponsored tax protections for qualifying longtime homeowners facing a future countywide reassessment.
Patrick Doyle / 90.5 WESA
The law she co-sponsored was signed February 27, 2026. It provides eligible longtime homeowners with protection against county tax increases following a future reassessment.
Bethany co-sponsored a law requiring prompt autopsies when someone dies in county jail custody.
The ordinance she co-sponsored became law on December 16, 2025, making prompt autopsies a requirement after deaths in jail custody.
Councilwoman Hallam advocated for paying people for work and classes at the Allegheny County Jail and supported county budget funding for the program.
Photo via TribLive
Bethany makes the case for paying people for jail work. This 2023 interview includes a $10-a-day proposal that did not pass; the pay program began in 2025.
Bethany pushed to end unpaid work in the jail. On March 25, 2025, the jail began paying people for work and class attendance.
Bethany co-sponsored a law requiring the county to publicly list property it intends to sell.
She supported a public listing requirement so residents can find out which county properties are being offered for sale.
Bethany co-sponsored a law requiring a public database of open seats on county boards and commissions.
The December 2024 law she co-sponsored requires public information about board and commission vacancies so residents can find opportunities to serve.
Bethany sponsored changes to the county’s property-assessment appeal process.
Jakob Lazzaro / 90.5 WESA
The measure she sponsored became law on June 4, 2024, updating the process for prospective property-assessment appeals.
Bethany advocated and voted to restore staffed ballot drop-off sites across Allegheny County.
Matt Slocum / AP
AP
Matt Rourke / AP
Photo via TribLive
As a Board of Elections member, Bethany pushed for more ballot drop-off locations and moved to add a McKeesport site. About 2,800 voters used seven pilot locations in the April 2024 primary.
Bethany moved to renew and defended direct financial support for people in the jail through the Incarcerated Individuals Welfare Fund.
Oliver Morrison / 90.5 WESA
Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA
Bethany introduces a welfare-fund payment proposal in January 2023, before the December renewal.
In December 2023, Bethany moved to renew the payments and defended them against cuts. More than $2.6 million reached over 6,000 accounts in 2024. These welfare-fund payments are separate from pay for jail work.
Bethany sponsored laws putting the Jail Oversight Board and the Incarcerated Individuals Welfare Fund into county law.
Bill 12854-23 is read at 58:55; the vote follows at about 59:48.
Her two ordinances, enacted in December 2023, put the board and the welfare fund into the county code.
Bethany sponsored a change to residency requirements for county jail staff.
Her ordinance, enacted March 21, 2023, created an exemption from the county’s residency rules for jail employees.
Councilwoman Hallam fought a proposed cut to CCAC funding and helped secure $2.8 million more for the community college.
Photo via Pittsburgh Union Progress
Photo via TribLive
The CCAC passage begins at 7:11.
Bethany advocated for CCAC during the 2023 budget process. The budget approved in December 2022 added $2.8 million, with further support in the following budget.
Bethany co-sponsored the law creating Allegheny County’s Department of Sustainability.
The law she co-sponsored established a dedicated county department responsible for sustainability in September 2022.
Bethany led the legislation to ban new fracking in county parks and moved the successful veto override.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh City Paper
Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA
Lilly Kubit / Tribune-Review
Keith Srakocic / AP
Remarks before the July vote.
The parks passage begins at 6:48.
She moved the override on July 19, 2022, and it passed 12–3. The ban protects county parks from new drilling leases; the existing Deer Lakes Park lease remains excluded.
Bethany moved to end the controversial C-SAU jail training contract, and her motion passed.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh City Paper
Her successful September 2021 motion ended the C-SAU training contract at the Allegheny County Jail.
Bethany helped advance paid sick leave by co-sponsoring an earlier bill and voting for the law that passed.
Jared Murphy / 90.5 WESA
The law she supported lets eligible employees at employers with 26 or more staff earn up to 40 hours of paid sick leave a year. It was signed September 15, 2021.
Bethany voted to create a civilian board to review allegations involving county police.
Miranda Jeyaretnam / PublicSource
Her April 2021 vote supported the ordinance establishing the Independent Police Review Board and a civilian process for reviewing allegations involving county police.
As a Board of Elections member, Bethany helped voters navigate the 2020 election and voted to count undated and one-signature mail ballots.
Lucy Perkins / 90.5 WESA
Bethany’s work during the 2020 election included voter education and votes in favor of counting these mail ballots.
Bethany co-sponsored protections against hairstyle discrimination.
The law she co-sponsored clarified that county nondiscrimination protections cover hairstyles. It was signed October 22, 2020.
Bethany co-sponsored the law extending nondiscrimination protections to medical care.
Bill O’Driscoll / 90.5 WESA
The law she co-sponsored protects people from discrimination in medical treatment, including discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. It was signed July 16, 2020.
Bethany co-sponsored the Clean Construction ordinance to set equipment standards for county projects.
The June 2020 law she co-sponsored establishes standards for construction equipment used on county projects.
Bethany campaigned to ban conversion therapy for minors in 2019 and co-sponsored the law that passed the following year.
Jared Murphy / Pittsburgh City Paper
Courtesy of the campaign / Pittsburgh City Paper
News report on the 13–2 council vote.
She made a ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth part of her 2019 campaign and co-sponsored the ordinance signed February 14, 2020.
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