Free Republic

Gov. Tom Wolf is accusing the GOP-controlled General Assembly of acting irresponsibly in ways that will harm Pennsylvanians at a time when he is trying to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a Thursday news conference that was billed as focusing on government reform and COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the governor spent a good part of the time criticizing lawmakers for pursuing “dangerous legislation” this week. He was referring to the House’s failed attempt on Wednesday to override his veto of a bill that would have allowed local school officials to set attendance limits at sporting events and extra-curricular activities....

A federal judge today (Tuesday) denied the Wolf administration’s request for a stay on the federal court decision that found some of Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to be unconstitutional. The administration sought a stay on the ruling while also appealing the decision, which was issued by U.S. Western District Judge William Stickman IV last week. .. the Wolf administration “did not proffer any specific evidence to differentiate between the danger allegedly posed by gatherings governed by specific numeric limitations and gatherings governed by occupancy limitations.”

Legislation won state Senate approval on Tuesday that would relax some of the restrictions imposed on Pennsylvania’s restaurants and bars that have forced some of these establishments to close for good. House Bill 2513 would set minimum capacity for restaurants and taverns at a minimum of 50% and would allow them to go beyond that if their premises allows while complying with social distancing, masks and other safety precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health. Further, it would remove Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration’s ban on bar services, allowing patrons to once again...

A federal judge on Tuesday denied Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration’s request for a stay on a federal court decision that found some of the governor’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to be unconstitutional. The Wolf Administration sought the stay while appealing U.S. Western District Judge William Stickman IV’s order that was issued last week that ruled the governor’s closure of nonessential business, a stay-at-home order and an order to limit gathering sizes were unconstitutional. In denying the stay, Stickman said, “the public interest would be ill served if the court would grant the stay allowing the unconstitutional measures to remain in place.”...

The percentage of positive coronavirus tests dropped in Pennsylvania over the past week, but Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said 10 counties bear watching due to COVID-19 cases. The Wolf administration said 3.8% of those tested for COVID-19 in Pennsylvania were positive over the past week, down from 4.2% the previous week. Wolf’s administration said a number of counties, including some in central Pennsylvania, are being monitored because at least 5% of those tested are positive for the virus. Each week, the state updates the list of counties being tracked for higher rates of positive results. The Wolf administration identified these...

Gov. Tom Wolf is changing the time for last call in bars and restaurants, but it won’t be as early as he had previously indicated. The governor signed an order Thursday putting a halt to sales of alcoholic drinks in bars and restaurants at 11 p.m., beginning Monday, Sept. 21. Customers will have until midnight to finish their drinks. Wolf had previously said the cut-off would be at 10 p.m. to reduce congregating at bars and restaurants, a measure designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. As he previously said he would, Wolf is allowing restaurants and bars can...

Pennsylvania members of the Committee to Protect Medicare said Thursday that politically-motivated attacks on Gov. Tom Wolf’s actions to control COVID-19 are a danger to their patients and all state residents. They said they are speaking out because of this week’s opinion by a federal judge which said restrictions including the state-wide state-at-home order were unconstitutional. The lawsuit was driven by Republicans who echo views similar to President Donald Trump, who pressed Wolf and other governor’s to “reopen” their states even as COVID-19 cases were rising and public health officials feared hospitals would be overwhelmed. “As physicians, we’re concerned that...

Restaurants in Pennsylvania are being asked to self-certify with the state that they are following the COVID-19 guidelines. And those that do will be permitted to increase their capacity. The self-certification for restaurants requires them to submit online through the DCED’s website that they meet all of the state’s coronavirus prevention guidelines. The submission form will be available online starting on September 21. “Self-certifying your establishment shows your employees and customers that you care about their health and well-being, and demonstrates your commitment to helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth,” said Secretary Dennis Davin of the Department...

Monday is the deadline by which Gov. Tom Wolf must make a decision about whether to deny or grant local officials the exclusive authority to make decisions about holding school sports and activities and who can attend them. Although the governor has publicly said he would veto the measure identified as House Bill 2787, a bipartisan band of House members gathered in the Ryan Office Building next to the state Capitol on Wednesday for a news conference to urge him to change his mind. “It is truly time to give people their voice back and ensure children have their best...

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday engaged in a debate over a bill that assures residents of the right to practice their religion during disaster declarations. The bill, which passed by a 149-53 vote, now goes to the Senate for consideration. Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga County, said the idea behind the bill was sparked by Gov. Tom Wolf discouraging people from attending houses of worship in April. After Owlett introduced his bill, he said Wolf and the state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine clarified in July the restriction on gatherings of 25 people or less to control the spread...

Pa. police are learning that if you play football, they will come – even amid the coronavirus. This high school pigskin phenomena of attracting crowds far larger than coronavirus-inspired limits allow has law enforcement officials in Allegheny County scratching their heads, as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reports: Over the past weekend, many high school games in western Pa. appeared to exceed the limits on crowd size set down by the Allegheny County Health Department. Parents and fans said it was their right watch -- and they showed up in droves. Now, Allegheny County officials tell KDKA they are considering enforcement options...

On Monday a federal judge in western Pennsylvania ruled that parts of Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home and business closure orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional. The ruling was in a lawsuit filed in March by four western Pennsylvania counties and several Republican state lawmakers that claimed the governor’s orders violated the First Amendment as well as the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. What does it mean for the average Pennsylvanian? Here’s what we know so far. Why did the judge rule the shutdown orders unconstitutional? U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV...

House Republican legislative leaders say “a return to normalcy might be on the horizon” after reviewing U.S. Western District Judge William Stickman IV’s ruling that found Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictions imposed to control the spread of COVID-19 to be unconstitutional. In a ruling issued on Monday, the federal judge ruled Gov. Tom Wolf’s and Health Secretary Rachel Levine’s congregate gathering, stay-at-home and business shutdown orders violated the First and Fourteenth amendments. In their reaction, House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County, and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre County, cited an excerpt from the judge’s opinion that highlight that a response...

At its first opportunity, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff said the chamber will attempt to override Gov. Tom Wolf's planned veto of a bill that would allow schools the choice to hold fall sports and decide how many spectators can attend them. Aug. 20, 2020 Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com The Pennsylvania House Republican leader vows a veto override vote will happen in the near future if Gov. Tom Wolf carries through with his planned veto of a bill that would give local school officials the exclusive authority to decide whether to allow sports and...

An audit that examines the consistency and fairness of Gov. Tom Wolf’s controversial coronavirus waiver process that allowed some businesses to reopen after appealing the governor’s March 19 business closure order while others were told to remain closed will be released next month. State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that his auditors have collected a significant amount of data about the more than 40,000 businesses that requested waivers from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to offer an analysis about its fairness. He said his auditors are examining the consistency...

Pennsylvania restaurant and bar owners have been waiting since mid-July for Gov. Tom Wolf to relax dine-in capacity limits. Today, the governor gave his blessing, announcing that starting Sept. 21 establishments can bump up indoor seating from 25% to 50%. However, any reason to celebrate was quickly squashed when Wolf threw the industry a curveball. As part of the updated orders, establishments with liquor licenses will have to cut off booze orders at 10 p.m., while those restaurants and bars wishing to move up to 50% will need to fill out a self-certification document to be eligible. Central Pennsylvania restaurant...

Restaurants and bars in Pennsylvania are getting some relief. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced today that starting Sept. 21 establishments can increase indoor seating capacity from 25% to 50%. But Wolf also threw in an additional caveat - restaurants with alcohol sales will have to cut off booze sales at 10 p.m. “While our aggressive and appropriate mitigation efforts have kept case counts low, we must continue to take important steps to protect public health and safety as we head into the fall. At the same time, we must also support the retail food services industry that has struggled throughout...

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives wants to guarantee school boards that they hold the power to decide whether to allow sports and extracurricular activities to occur this school year and whether spectators can attend. The House on Wednesday passed House Bill 2787 , sponsored by Rep. Mike Reese, R-Westmoreland County, by a bipartisan 155-47 vote that would school boards with the assurance that they have that authority, not the governor. A separate school-related bill, House Bill 2788, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford County, passed by a 197-5 vote that would allow parents to request their public or private school...

Saying Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown orders over the past 180 days have been disastrous for Pennsylvania businesses and families, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff said Wednesday lawmakers will attempt to end the COVID-19 disaster declaration that the governor renewed this week for another 90 days. “We need a change,” said Benninghoff, R-Centre County. “We are asking all our members to join us on this anniversary of the 180 days of this shutdown to override the governor’s order and open Pennsylvania in an orderly fashion, keeping Pennsylvania safe and Pennsylvanians employed and most of all allowing them to earn a paycheck...

The percentage of positive coronavirus tests continues to drop across Pennsylvania, but 9 counties bear watching for COVID-19 infections, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said Monday. The statewide rate of positive tests has now dropped for five straight weeks. It dipped to 3.2% over the past week, down from 3.4% the previous week, the Wolf administration said. “Our percent positivity decreased again this week, representing the fifth straight week that the percent positivity has decreased,” Wolf said in a statement Monday. “This is a testament that our actions are working, but we still have more work to do. The virus is...