Gov. Wolf Vetoes School Sports Bill

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday vetoed a bill that would have given local school districts exclusive authority to determine whether to hold in-person sports and extracurricular activities during the 2020-21 academic year.

The bill ensures decisions about school sports and activities, as well as spectators at those events, are made at the local level, supporters say. But the governor said the bill is unnecessary given that school districts already have local control on decisions related to sports.

"This bill is entirely unnecessary," Gov. Wolf said in a statement following the veto. "While I recommended against holding school sports before January 2021, it was a recommendation and neither an order nor a mandate. Local school governing bodies have maintained the authority to decide how extracurricular activities, including school sports, proceed at the local level. Furthermore, to the extent COVID-19 cases may rise and spread during the fall and through the upcoming cold and flu season, the Department of Health must maintain the critical authority to limit exposure to COVID-19. Minimizing this exposure is paramount. "

Wolf had addressed the issue during the question portion of a Monday morning news conference that was held to discuss the status of personal protective equipment in the state.

He said the bill ignores a key reality: "There is a virus out there and that virus really likes it when you bring a lot of people together."

Wolf said politicians can attempt to "ignore that reality" but "it's a fact."

He added, "I don't think Pennsylvanians can afford to ignore that reality, so I am going to veto it."

The state Senate majority leader has previously said the Legislature plans to override the veto.

Supporters of the bill said local districts "are best positioned to know what can and can’t be done safely," Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said in a statement earlier this month. "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."

According to the state Senate GOP, since the bill originated in the House, that chamber must first gain a two-thirds majority vote in order to override the governor’s veto. A two-thirds majority vote is also needed in the Senate.

The House voted 155-47 on the bill, with 135 votes needed to override a veto. The Senate originally passed the bill 39-11, with 34 votes needed for an override.

Under the legislation, school officials would have been tasked with establishing safety protocols for spectators to attend sports and in-person extracurricular activities. The protocols would be consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Considerations for Youth Sports.

Wolf has eased his guidance for fall high school sports competitions, reversing course to allow for spectator to attend games in person. The guidance still calls for a limit of 250 people all told for outdoor events and 25 for indoor events.

In early August, the governor shocked the state when he announced he was recommending no school sports until 2021. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association's Board of Directors has since voted 25-5 in favor of a sports season this fall.