Pennsylvania Ping!
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Posted on 06/22/2021 4:20:30 PM PDT by lightman
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives could vote as early as Wednesday on a bill that would outlaw strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements at all state or local government and higher education facilities.
The bill barring so-called “vaccine passports” appeals to those who want to bury all vestiges of the now-defunct coronavirus pandemic restrictions in Pennsylvania. But it faces an almost certain veto if and when it hits Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.
Sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, Senate Bill 618 originated as a bill that would bar any governmental entities or colleges and universities that receive “regular state appropriations” from requiring proof of a vaccination before someone could enter a building and make use of their facilities and services.
But on its way toward Wolf’s desk, the bill has picked up a lot of extra baggage - including a dramatic curtailment of the state Health Secretary’s powers in the case of a pandemic. That’s made it a non-starter with the governor.
On Tuesday, the House went a little bit further, making clear in an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester County, that the centerpiece ban on so-called “vaccine passports” extends to private colleges and universities, too. Lawrence’s language did that by expanding the bill’s scope to “institutions that get grants from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.”
Almost every college and university in Pennsylvania has students that receive PHEAA grants to help cover the cost of tuition.
That could be problematic for many schools in Pennsylvania.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education which is tracking vaccine mandates, more than 500 colleges and universities across the country now have imposed a vaccination mandate. At least 26 private higher education institutions in Pennsylvania are among them, though most will allow religious and medical exemptions.
“We are surprised that the General Assembly would attempt to impose restrictions on private institutions in the higher education arena,” the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania said in a statement after Tuesday’s amendment. “We look forward to discussion of these topics with the legislature.”
Officials at most of Pennsylvania’s public universities, so far anyway, are only “strongly encouraging” students and employees to receive their vaccinations, with the promise that fully vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear face masks indoors once classes resume.
Penn State is going so far as to entice students to get the vaccine with weekly drawings for prizes, including cash payments, gift cards and autographed footballs.
Phillips-Hill’s bill was already dramatically expanded in state Senate debate earlier this month, with language added that would eviscerate much of the state Health Secretary’s powers to impose general restrictions on travel, public gatherings and business operations in a future health emergency.
Those powers were applied broadly by Wolf and his former health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, through dual orders last year as the coronavirus pandemic was in full spread. The mitigation orders have been credited by some studies as helping to hold down the overall number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Pennsylvania in the early stages of the pandemic.
But the pandemic rules’ persistence as case counts started to tail off in the late spring infuriated many business owners and residents, who soon began holding regular rallies around the state calling for a more rapid reopening.
Many Republican lawmakers embraced these protests as their own, leading to last month’s passage of the Constitutional amendments resetting the balance of power with the governor in future emergency declarations. The amendment to the state’s Disease Prevention and Control law, sponsored by Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair County, sought to erase what administration officials had seen as a source of back-up power for their edicts.
The current language specifically prohibits a health secretary from issuing any orders requiring people who have not been “exposed or potentially exposed to a contagious disease” to wear face coverings, practice physical distancing, or to shelter-in-place. Such restrictions would only apply to people directly affected by the disease in question.
Future secretaries could also not unilaterally order business closures.
“The amendment simply prevents one person from unilaterally throwing tens of thousands of citizens out of work, barring children from school and spending millions of taxpayer dollars,” Ward said during the Senate debate “When it comes to limits on civil liberties, I think more voices representing the will of the people make for better emergency response and for more enduring freedom.”
House Democrats did make several fresh attempts to limit the bill’s scope through amendments Tuesday, but all were beaten back by the Republicans. State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna County, proposed language that would restore much of the health secretary’s powers.
“The underlying bill handcuffs the Commonwealth’s top health expert when rapid response is needed to address public health crisis,” Kosierowski said. “Left without this ability, we would simply give away our power to the federal government in hopes that they will save us when we need it.”
Lawrence shot back that those “handcuffs” are exactly what makes the bill important because, in his view, the governor has run roughshod with his executive powers.
“This bill is saying the secretary of health cannot say to a healthy person: ‘We’re going to restrict your travel. We’re going to restrict your ability to drive an automobile down the road,’” Lawrence said. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation, but it happened... People were pulled over by the state police” during the coronavirus emergency.
Pennsylvania State Police data shows that troopers issued more than 100 warnings to individuals for violations of various health orders through the pandemic, but the agency issued zero citations.
Kosierowski’s amendment failed on a 90-111, with just one Republican, Rep. Karen Boback of Luzerne County, joining the 89 Democrats in opposition.
Another amendment sponsored by Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin County, that would have specifically exempted private colleges and universities from the vaccine passport prohibition, was withdrawn.
“I think it’s a grave error for the government to exercise its power to tell private industry what it should do. However, since I understand that a majority of my caucus (House Republicans) does not support that, I am going to withdraw the amendment,” Schemel said.
With all the amendments considered, the bill is expected to get final consideration in the House Wednesday. With passage, it would then go back to the Senate for a vote on the final language.
But Wolf’s press secretary, Lyndsay Kensinger, reiterated the governor’s veto threat Tuesday.
“The governor has no intention to endorse, create, or require vaccine passports in Pennsylvania, but he believes that private entities / venues / businesses have the right to set their own requirements for entry,” Kensinger said. “The recently added, unrelated amendment is dangerous and would undermine any attempt to protect public health in any circumstance. The governor plans to veto the bill in its current form.”
Lame duck Wolf has been neutered by the referendum but he still has a nasty bite.
Pennsylvania Ping!
Please ping me with articles of interest.
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ok, sounds good, but other article said PA won’t reach 70% jabbed by en df june so mask mandate will stay in place.
I highly doubt there will be enough votes to override a veto. Jeez, I am surprise there are enough RINOs willing to pass the bill.
The vaccine industry is pure evil
The truth is coming out finally about the psychotic asswipes they are
There needs to be supreme court decisions barring any government from ever forcing any child to ever get any vaccines ( and adults )
so all these assholes have to finally once and for all just beg and plead for all the morons to inject himself with ☠️
And if you’re dumb enough after learning about the industry like I’ve told you 1000 times I feel sorry for you
Once again here’s the history of the poison industry
Have you seen this?
Anything to deflect from the STEAL. Start the audit already.
Mask mandates end June 28. They would have ended sooner if the magic 70 percent had been reached. But June 28 is firm
This will not become law.
Most universities already sent out notices that if a student is not vaccinated, they are not welcome on campus.
Also, there will be no remote learning option.
In other words, if you do not take the vaccine, you are no longer enrolled here.
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