Local Control of School Sports in Pennsylvania Threatened by Governor’s Veto

Gov. Tom Wolf said he will veto a bill that gives local districts the authority to run school sports based on their own social distancing rules – from whether seasons should continue to how many spectators will be allowed.

Except, House Bill 2787 passed both chambers with a veto-proof majority – the first time in six months that legislators have stood any chance of overturning the governor’s pandemic restrictions.

Lyndsay Kensinger, Wolf’s spokesperson, said Wednesday that Republican majorities in the House and Senate should “stop wasting time” and pass bills that help residents endure the pandemic.

“The bill is unnecessary given that school districts already have local control on decisions on school sports,” she said. “Further the virus is not stopping and spreads more easily when people are in close proximity with one another.” 

Indeed, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) decided last month that districts could proceed with their fall sports schedules following approved social distancing plans – even after Wolf said districts should delay until 2021. The administration later clarified it was just a “recommendation” and not a mandate.

Last week, Wolf reversed course on banning spectators at school sporting events, telling districts to follow capacity limits used for other gatherings – 25 person limit indoors and a 250 person limit outdoors.

But bill sponsor Rep. Mike Reese, R-Westmoreland, said Wolf’s shifting mandates leave most residents confused. 

“The governor saw the wisdom of allowing local school officials to make decisions about student instruction based on virus cases and other factors unique to their districts,” he said. “There is no logical reason to take decisions about the sports and activities portion of our children’s educational experience out of local hands.”

House GOP spokesman Jason Gottesman shared his thoughts via Twitter, saying that a veto makes it “clear Gov. Wolf is merely playing lip service to his call for bipartisanship and asking Republicans and Democrats to work together especially when it questions his unilateral authority.” 

“A veto would also provide less certainty and more inconsistency and confusion for Pennsylvania’s students and families who were counting on school sports starting within the next few days,” he said.

The Legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in favor of doing so. The bill passed the House last week on a vote of 155-47 and again in the Senate 39-11 on Wednesday. 

House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, said Thursday he will schedule the override vote "as soon as we have the chance."

“Given the overwhelming support House Bill 2787 received in the House and the Senate, it is only right for us to consider overriding the governor’s promised veto of this important bill as soon as we have the chance so the people's voice can be heard and the student athletes and others can enjoy some sense of normalcy through these character-building extracurricular activities," he said.

Wolf must wait until both chambers sign the bill before it is officially presented to him for signature or veto. He will have 10 days to act upon receipt of the legislation. The House clarified its next opportunity to sign the bill will not be until Sept. 15 – meaning a veto override may not be scheduled until late in the month.

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, agreed that he hold the override vote as soon as it passed in the House.

"We will see how committed the Democrats who overwhelmingly voted for the bill are to allowing their local school districts to have the final say on whether to allow school sports, extracurricular activities and spectators," he said. "We know that local districts are best positioned to know what can and can’t be done safely, and no one has more at stake regarding the health of their children and their community. For the sake of students, parents and communities, we need to pass this legislation and leave local decisions in the hands of the people who know best and are the most impacted.”

See also:

Spectators Now Allowed At Pennsylvania School Sports

In A Split Vote, North Penn School Board Approves High School Fall Sports For Upcoming School Year

Wolf Recommends Cancelling Recreational and School Youth Sports

Photos: North Penn Knights Play Rival Souderton at Memorial Park

Brandon McManus Partners With North Penn Through Stadium For The Future Campaign