Gov. Wolf Vetoes 2 Bills, Including Vaccine Passport Ban

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf this week vetoed two bills, including a controversial measure that would have made numerous changes to the state's election law as well as another aimed to ban "vaccine passports."

The governor also signed various other bills into law this week.

Wolf, a Democrat, on Wednesday vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that would have mandated voter identification at the polls; would have changed voter registration deadlines from 15 to 30 days before an election; established earlier deadlines for mail-in voters to request ballots; and limited drop boxes for mail-in ballots to seven days before an election and monitored by both major political parties' representatives.

“This bill is ultimately not about improving access to voting or election security, but about restricting the freedom to vote,” Wolf said in a memo explaining his veto. “If adopted, it would threaten to disrupt election administration, undermine faith in government, and invite costly, time-consuming, and destabilizing litigation.”

On Thursday, Wolf vetoed Senate Bill 618, which he called an "anti-vaccination legislation that would severely limit medical providers and the public from having access to vital information on vaccination rates and vaccine efficacy."

The bill, which would prohibit "vaccine passports," bans colleges and universities receiving state money from requiring coronavirus vaccination proof to enter buildings, attend classes in person or participate in any activity. The prohibition also applies to government agencies, which also would be banned from requiring coronavirus vaccine status on any identification card.

Additionally, under the legislation, the health secretary no longer could order closures, restrict travel or mandate that people who have not been exposed to a contagion to socially distance, don a mask or quarantine.

In a veto message, Wolf said: "This legislation is contradictory, misguided and irresponsible. This bill prohibits basic public health measures, which are necessary to curb infectious disease transmission and save lives. Specifically, the bill eliminates the Department of Health’s ability to take disease control measures for any future contagious disease, resulting in the inability to contain the spread of infectious diseases in the Commonwealth or long after the current pandemic is over."

The bills Wolf signed into law included the following, which provide:

• $158 million in 2021-22 funding for Temple University in Philadelphia.

• $154 million in 2021-22 funding for the University of Pittsburgh.

• $31 million in 2021-22 funding for the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

• $15.1 million in 2021-22 funding for Lincoln University in Chester County.

• $6.2 million in funding for the consumer advocate's office in the state Attorney General's Office.

• $2.8 million in funding for the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

• The permanent establishment of a temporary program slated to expire that allows schools to hire those training to be teachers as substitute instructors, provided they have valid clearances and at least 60 credit hours toward a teaching degree.

• The establishment of a sales and use tax exemption for certain equipment purchased by computer data centers and their tenants. Like sales tax exemptions for other industries in the states - such as farming, manufacturing and mining - the legislation is meant to incentivize companies to locate data centers in Pennsylvania.

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