The Osaka City government has opted to delay the submission of a bill that would establish a legal council for the Osaka Metropolis Plan, which is aimed at facilitating a third resident referendum on the project. Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama announced this decision via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on November 8, indicating that although the council's establishment will not be proposed during the current city council session, efforts are still being made to develop a framework for the plan moving forward. This postponement reflects a significant cautious stance taken by city council members, many of whom did not campaign on the metropolis plan in the previous municipal elections.

Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, a prominent advocate for the metropolis initiative from the Japan Innovation Party, is pushing for the establishment of this legal council, which requires approval from both the city and prefectural councils where his party holds a majority. Nevertheless, the city’s decision not to propose the establishment at this time indicates a possible gridlock in the push for this controversial plan, which seeks to restructure Osaka into a metropolis similar to Tokyo.

Despite the city council’s unwillingness to support the council’s establishment at this moment, plans are still underway for the prefectural assembly to review and potentially approve the bill. However, without the city council's collaboration, even if the prefectural assembly passes the proposal, the actual establishment of the legal council will remain unresolved, emphasizing the challenges the Osaka Metropolis Plan faces in achieving legislative consensus at the local governmental level.