PA House Takes 1st Step To Terminate COVID-19 Disaster Emergency

HARRISBURG, PA —A measure to terminate portions of the current COVID-19 disaster emergency that was renewed last week has been introduced in the Pennsylvania House.

House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff on Monday introduced a concurrent resolution to terminate the "destructive" portions of the disaster declaration related to COVID-19.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday signed his fifth renewal of the disaster emergency just days after voters approved two constitutional amendments that would limit the governor's emergency powers. The vote has yet to be certified by the state, however. Once the amendments are in place, the governor would need approval from the legislature to extend any public emergency beyond 21 days.

“Last week, Pennsylvania voters issued a new mandate to their government that they want more checks and balances in the management of emergency disaster periods. This resolution is a first step in bringing action to the will of the voters by terminating the most devastating portions of Gov. Wolf’s initial emergency disaster declaration,” Benninghoff said in a statement.

According to Benninghoff: The resolution would terminate the administration’s ability to use the COVID-19 emergency disaster declaration "to engage in no-bid, single-source contracting; reestablish work search requirements currently waived by the Department of Labor and Industry; and end the ability of the governor to use the emergency disaster declaration to mandate occupancy limits, business closures and stay-at-home orders."

All coronavirus mitigation orders are set to expire on Memorial Day, Wolf said.

Wolf responded to the latest action in Harrisburg, saying he learned of the resolution following a "productive meeting" with the legislature last week.

“The voters gave the legislature tremendous responsibility. The administration stands ready to work with the legislature, but this is a discouraging development," Wolf said.