PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh City Council has given preliminary approval to holding a November referendum that would make the city’s ban on natural gas drilling a part of the city’s home-rule charter.

Council last year passed a citywide ban on drilling, but Councilman Doug Shields is sponsoring the new legislation to amend the charter. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says supporters of the bill want to amend the charter to include the ban because that would make it more difficult for future councils to rescind it.

Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to putting the referendum on the ballot by a 5-3 margin, with one abstention.

Council must still formally approve the ballot measure, and then a majority of voters would have to support it, for the ban to be included in the charter.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com