May. 04, 2021
HARRISBURG – On Tuesday, Wolf administration officials and some House Democrats continued a relentless campaign of disinformation on the
potential impact of two Constitutional amendments relating to the governor’s unilateral executive authority under emergency disaster declarations.
In response, House Republican Caucus Spokesperson Jason Gottesman made the following statement:
“The Wolf administration has stood in the way of the voice of the people for more than 14 months and they continue to do so with a campaign of disinformation weeks before the voters will express their desire about whether or not to restore their power during emergency disaster declarations.
“As if purposely confused and bias wording for the ballot questions drafted by the Governor’s Department of State were not enough, now various administration officials are holding regular press conference that skew the facts and sow fear and division among Pennsylvanians rightly seeking information on these important ballot questions.
“First, should the emergency disaster declaration amendments be adopted, the General Assembly would then be able to renew the emergency disaster declaration in whole or in part or not at all. To argue the emergency disaster declaration would automatically disappear is, at best, a half-truth. To also argue that having a legitimate debate about continuing an emergency disaster declaration is inappropriate is, of itself, undemocratic.
“Second, discussions are already ongoing in preparation for the Legislature’s response to what happens on May 18. If anything, it is the Wolf administration slow-playing working with us in advance of that date and hindering our ability to prepare the most prudent course of action.
“What these amendments would ultimately do is reinsert the General Assembly—the voice of the people—into these discussions.
“Over the course of the last 14 months, Pennsylvanians have been harmed after repeated instances of gross mismanagement by the Wolf administration, which has been allowed to perpetuate unchecked by the unilateral executive authority vested in the governor as a result of self-declared emergency disaster declarations.
“House Republicans have been seeking to work with the Governor for the last 13 months. If the Administration does not want to work with us now to provide information on what is critical and what is not, then they do so at the detriment of Pennsylvanians.”
House Republican Caucus
Pennsylvania House of Representatives