House committee approves bill aimed at emergency powers

HARRISBURG — The state House Government Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that backs a proposed constitutional amendment to limit emergency declarations made by the Pennsylvania governor to 21 days.

The party-line vote of 15-10 in the Republican-dominated committee came in its first meeting of the new, two-year legislative session.

Constitutional amendments require passage in two consecutive legislative sessions, followed by approval by voters. Since a similar measure was approved by the General Assembly last session — including support from some Democrats — passage of the measure by the full House and Senate this session would put it

before voters on an election ballot.

Republicans crafted the proposal amid dissatisfaction with Gov. Tom Wolf’s handling of shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis.

Mr. Wolf signed a 90-day disaster emergency declaration for COVID-19 on March 6 and has since renewed it three times. In addition, Mr. Wolf in January 2018 signed a similar declaration for the opioiddriven drug crisis and has renewed that declaration 12 times.

Committee Chairman Seth Grove, a York County Republican, said Pennsylvania is one of the only states with a 90-day emergency provision. Most states, he said, have it set around 30 days.

The Democratic chairwoman, Rep. Margo Davidson of Delaware County, called it a dangerous bill that puts an arbitrary limit on the governor’s powers.

Ms. Davidson said people continue to die at a record rate from COVID19, and the disaster of the pandemic has lasted longer than 21 days.

Mr. Wolf has issued several shutdown orders since the pandemic hit Pennsylvania, where the state Health Department has counted more than 17,000 deaths from the coronavirus.