State legislators are again criticizing Gov. Tom Wolf for not listening to the people after he vetoed a series of bills that would have reopened the state far more quickly than his phased approach does.
On Tuesday, Republican leaders in the state Senate and House said Wolf’s approach is arbitrary and isn’t what Pennsylvanians want.
The criticism was aimed at the veto of Senate Bill 327, which would given county governments the power to decide when to reopen; House Bill 2388, which would have given waivers for the operation of businesses like car dealers, hair salons and manufacturing operations; and House Bill 2412, which would have allowed legal services and real estate activities to resume.
“It’s disappointing,” said state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, “It shows the governor is not listening to the people of Pennsylvania.”
The legislature is working hard to get the state reopened safely and in a timely manner, Causer said, but Wolf won’t consider any approach except his own. Counties deserve the right to be heard in their own best interests, the representative said.
“The state is so diverse,” Causer said. “Our area is so different from southeast Pennsylvania. Just giving the counties some input would be so valuable.”
The representative voiced some disbelief at certain aspects of Wolf’s plan.
“There’s a lot of politics in it,” Causer said, explaining the legislature had approved a bill Tuesday morning to allow real estate to be sold. Wolf vetoed the bill, and then later in the day modified his executive order to allow for real estate to be sold.
“He’s not communicating with the legislature,” the representative said of Wolf. “He should be working with the people’s representatives. I think we all see public safety as our number one issue. We all want to work together to tackle this pandemic.”
Yet that isn’t what he is seeing from Wolf.
“So far the governor is making all the decisions,” Causer said. “He’s not including the legislature and that’s a problem.”
Causer said the legislature is trying to inject some common sense into the process.
“Governor Wolf just flat out says no. It’s just not reasonable.”
Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, the House Republican leader, said the bills were passed with bipartisan support.
“While millions of Pennsylvanians watch their livelihoods evaporate, the governor continues to arbitrarily choose who can thrive and who will fail. Wolf has determined and proved that he alone shall have the ultimate power over our state’s future,” Cutler said.
Republican leadership in the state senate had similar condemnation for Wolf’s veto.
The bills, recently approved by the General Assembly and formally sent to the governor Monday, would have brought back more than 200,000 jobs across Pennsylvania, according to the Republican leadership.
“The governor continues to focus efforts on what we cannot and should not do instead of what we can do to get our economy moving again,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte. “It’s unfortunate that he does not trust that employers can follow safety guidelines that will protect their workers and the public, who want these businesses open again.
“With his veto pen, Gov. Wolf has struck down much-needed clarity and consistency that allows communities to continue to reopen safely within the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health to protect lives and livelihoods,” read the statement from the senate leaders.
