Dispute Over PA Coronavirus Shutdown Heads To State Supreme Court

HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will decide on a lawsuit legislative Republicans filed seeking to terminate Gov. Tom Wolf's coronavirus shutdown orders.

Last week, the legislature passed a resolution directing Wolf to end the COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration and lift all shutdown orders. Wolf fired back, saying the current disaster emergency for coronavirus remains in place and is needed for various assistance programs.

The lawsuit, filed by Republicans in the Commonweath Court, asserts that the bill passed last week cannot be vetoed by the governor. Wolf this week asked the Supreme Court to decide the case.

The governor "disapproved" HR 836, and the disaster proclamation has not been terminated by the House or Senate's actions, his office confirmed. "Only the governor can terminate the disaster emergency," said Press Secretary Lyndsay Kensinger.

But Republicans are seeking to enforce the resolution, filing the lawsuit that would make the bills' passage terminate the emergency declaration.

The measure to lift the disaster declaration passed the Senate by a 31-19 vote after several hours of debate. It then handily passed the House by a 121-81 vote. A dozen House Democrats voted for the measure.

A decision from the Supreme Court is possible as soon as this week, WGAL reported.

Meanwhile, several Philadelphia-area counties — among the last in the yellow phase of coronavirus mitigation — expect to move to green next week.

All businesses were closed by governor's order on March 19 in an effort to quell the spread of the virus, which has infected 79,818 in the state and killed 6,319 as of data from Wednesday. Since the closures began, 2.1 million people have filed for unemployment in the state.