Sen. Mensch Calls Governor Wolf’s Vetoes a ‘Missed Opportunity’

Governor Tom Wolf vetoed a trio of bills on Tuesday that sought to reopen parts of the state’s economy and allow individual counties to develop and implement their own mitigation and reopening plans.

Afterwards, state Sen. Bob Mensch called the series of moves a “missed opportunity,” and added that they could have brought back more than 200,000 jobs across the commonwealth.

“Governor Wolf had an opportunity to work with elected representatives to reduce the incredible burden on Pennsylvania families that his sweeping orders have imposed. Instead, he once again chose to act unilaterally,” Mensch said. “The citizens of Pennsylvania have been incredibly responsible during this emergency, working with others and adapting new approaches when circumstances warranted. It’s past time for the governor to follow their example and do the same.”

The first of the three bills, Senate Bill 327, would have given county governments the option to develop and implement individual plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as well as allow counties to determine when businesses can reopen.

In his veto of Senate Bill 327, Wolf said it would allow for a “disjointed, patchwork approach” that would have “commonwealth-wide effects,” and added that the bill “inexplicably prohibits commonwealth agencies from performing an essential governmental operation—the promulgation of regulations—until 90 days after the disaster emergency declaration is terminated.”

Both House Bill 2388 and House Bill 2412 sought to issue waivers to certain types of businesses, including car dealerships, law and garden centers, salons, barber shops, pet groomers and more. Wolf said that the changes would go against his administration’s “measured plan” for reopening the state.

To read Wolf’s veto of House Bill 2388, click here. To read Wolf’s veto of House Bill 2412, click here.

See also:

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