Pennsylvania's top court rejects GOP effort to end shutdown

[left-of-center2012]

Pennsylvania’s highest court found in favor of Gov. Tom Wolf (D) Wednesday, ruling the Republican-controlled state legislature did not have the power to end his coronavirus disaster declaration for the state.

In the 5-2 ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said the GOP resolution does not qualify as a case where the legislature can do without the governor’s signature, and that without it, the resolution was a “legal nullity.” The court previously declined to overturn Wolf’s order closing non-essential businesses in the state in May.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Wolf signed a new order mandating that Pennsylvania residents wear masks when in public to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

"This mask-wearing order is essential to stopping the recent increase in COVID-19 cases we have seen in Pennsylvania," he said in a statement.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/505519-pennsylvanias-top-court-rejects-gop-effort-to-end-shutdown

[Bayard]

1. Wearing masks anytime you are in public

Should be a national mandate. And no exclusions for self-serving politicians.

[DeminPennswoods]

2. GOP is missing the irony here

They love when Trump just takes power or presumes he has to make decisions or change whatever he doesn't lile.

Not so much when Gov Wolf, a Dem, does something similar, although for good not evil ala Trump.

Ultimately, it doesn't make sense to have an emergency declaration that can never be overruled by the state legislation and only be over when the governor says it is. No Dem, liberal, progressive would like it if we had an R governor who decided to use emergency declaration powers to gut regulations on fracking, drilling, mining and other things in the name of "getting the economy going".