With signs demanding transparency, community investment, and their very own ‘Alexa’ more than 20 community organizers and concerned residents gathered in front of the Pittsburgh City-County Building to ask that elected officials release their much discussed Amazon HQ2 bid to the public Wednesday.

Pittsburgh along with Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and over a dozen other cities, is competing to land Amazon’s second headquarters. 

Motley Rice, LLC, a national plaintiff litigation firm, was selected after a request for qualifications went out from both municipalities last December, according to a press release. 

On the first day of Women’s History Month, Pittsburgh unveiled its Gender Equity Commission at a press conference Thursday.

The commission, authorized by legislation signed by Mayor Bill Peduto last year, will now attempt to “dismantle gender inequities in our city” according to commission Executive Director anupama jain.

In a press release, the city, Allegheny county, and the Allegheny Conference jointly announced that they filed a court appeal to the state Office of Open Records’ order that their bid become public. 

“The proposal submitted by PGHQ2 was a collective effort by multiple local stakeholders, including the county and city,” the release said. “In addition to the legal arguments, releasing the proposal would put our region at a competitive disadvantage.” 

An argument over paid sick leave in Pittsburgh is instead turning into a fight over the rights of Pennsylvania municipalities, one that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could have a large say in. 
 
At a rally outside the doors of Pittsburgh city council Thursday, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Councilmen Corey O’Connor (District 5) and Ricky Burgess (District 9) and a group of local activists, all gathered to promote the filing of legal briefs with the state’s highest court.