Here we go again with Wolf’s manipulative ways

Here we go again with Wolf’s manipulative ways

At the beginning of this week, Governor Wolf quietly announced that his debilitating COVID restrictions on businesses and the freedom to gather would be fully lifted on Monday, May 31st. Additionally, his mask mandate will end only when 70% of Pennsylvanians are vaccinated. Such actions are purely manipulative and controlling of the people of Pennsylvania.

While Governor Wolf created a bi-partisan COVID vaccine task force, which played a role in these recent decisions, he has otherwise continued to ignore the legislature’s role in making decisions and setting policies that impact our constituents. My fellow Senators and I have refused to sit idly by, and that holds true on this most recent announcement.

Together, we are sending a letter to the governor calling for him to lift his COVID restrictions on Friday, May 28th to allow restaurants and their servers, the tourism industry, and groups hosting Memorial Day events to have the entire holiday weekend free of capacity limits to begin to recoup losses from the governor’s COVID shutdowns. Quite frankly, if it is safe to do on a Monday, it is safe to do three days earlier.

Additionally, I respect anyone’s choice to receive the COVID vaccine. I assisted in getting my 92-year-old mother an appointment when demand was at its highest and our older population was expected to either sit on hold for hours or use unfamiliar technology to try to book online. I have also been and continue to be very willing to assist constituents how I can if they are facing access problems.

The governor’s Department of Health put Pennsylvania on the map as one of the worst states for the vaccine rollout. And now the Governor is turning his mask mandate into a vaccination mandate. No one should be forced to put something in their body that they do not want to.

I stand by my earlier call for the governor to lift his mask mandate, as other states have already done. And I do not have any issue with people continuing to wear masks if they so choose – just as those who choose to get vaccinated are free to do.

Enough is enough with Governor Wolf’s control and manipulation. If you’d like to share with him your own frustrations, you can make your voice heard – or at least try to – by contacting his office. And be sure to educate yourself about the May 18th ballot questions regarding future emergency declarations. To read an Op-Ed I wrote regarding them, click here.