Pa. voters approve constitutional amendments to curb governor's power

[FakeNoose]

(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2021/05/18/pennsylvania-constitutional-amendments-2021-election-results-limiting-governors-power/stories/202105180166

This story was updated at 11 a.m. on May 19, 2021.

Pennsylvania’s primary election featured nationally watched questions stemming from Republican dissatisfaction over shutdowns ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf during the pandemic and worries over whether federal judges appointed by former President Donald Trump will roll back civil rights protections.

Both of the ballot questions — which sought to limit the power of the governor in declaring a disaster and put more power into the hands of the Legislature’s 253 lawmakers — have passed, The Associated Press reported, making Pennsylvania the first state to impose such restrictions on a governor.

The two questions led with almost 54% of the vote with 73% of precincts reporting.

The first proposed constitutional amendment will make it so that the state’s General Assembly could terminate or extend a disaster declaration at any time without approval from the governor. The Pennsylvania Constitution will have to be amended so that the disaster declaration power will be shared by the governor and the General Assembly.

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The second question proposed that the time limit on a disaster declaration be shortened from 90 days to 21 days unless the General Assembly votes to extend it. Mr. Wolf openly advocated against these ballot questions in a visit to Pittsburgh last week, calling them “bad news” and saying that they would politicize the government’s response to disasters and emergencies.

- more at link -

Not enough voters followed the instructions to vote NO-NO-YES, and the wording on the questions was deliberately confusing, IMHO.