Dowling Votes to Terminate COVID-19 Disaster Declaration
HARRISBURG – Rep. Matthew Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) today voted to fully terminate Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration that has been in place since March 6, 2020.
“For well over a year, the voices of my constituents and citizens across the Commonwealth were silenced while the governor exercised unilateral authority in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the governor’s actions, his refusal to listen to the citizens or engage with the General Assembly is counter to the representative government created by our forefathers,” Dowling said. “Our system of checks and balances has been out of whack since last March. The passage of this resolution takes us one step closer to restoring this important tenet of our democracy.”
House passage of the resolution comes in response to voters who cast their ballots at the May 18 primary election in favor of two proposed constitutional amendments impacting disaster emergency declarations. The amendments limit the duration of disaster emergency declarations to no more than 21 days without approval of the Legislature and allow for the termination (or extension) of a disaster declaration by a majority vote of the House and Senate, without approval of the governor.
House Resolution 106 must also be approved by the Senate before the termination can take effect.
Representative Matthew Dowling
51st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives