In a fantastic win for immigrants and their descendants, The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court unanimously ruled that former Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney overstepped his authority in 2021 when he replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day via executive order.
In a 7–0 decision, the court found that only City Council has the power to establish or change official city holidays. “This is a legislative power,” wrote Judge Patricia McCullough in the opinion, declaring Kenney’s Executive Order 2-21 “void” and in violation of the city charter.
Kenney had justified the move by criticizing Columbus’s treatment of Indigenous people. However, plaintiffs argued the order was part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Italian Americans, citing past efforts to remove statues of Columbus and former Mayor Frank Rizzo.
Though a lower court initially dismissed the case, the Commonwealth Court reversed that decision, ending the legal debate and reinstating Columbus Day as an official city holiday. Indigenous Peoples Day, as declared by the executive order, is no longer recognized by the city.
Attorney George Bochetto, representing the plaintiffs, called the ruling “a victory for the rule of law and the Italian American community,” noting, “There’s room on the calendar for both holidays — but one can’t cancel the other by fiat.”
