Pa. Voters Limit Executive Pandemic Powers

Voters in Pennsylvania are the first in the nation to say the Governor should have limits on disaster emergency powers in cases like the past year during the pandemic.

A constitutional amendment appears to have passed in the Keystone State that would end a Governor’s emergency disaster declaration after 21 days.

According to Ballotpedia, the constitutional amendment included on the primary ballot May 18 could be voted on by anyone in the state, regardless of party affiliation, and proposed that the Governor’s declarations could only be extended with the legislature passing a concurrent measure allowing an extension.

The emergency declaration issued by Democrat Governor Tom Wolf 14 months ago has been extended repeatedly but is next due to expire at midnight.

The vote results still need to be certified. That may take another month.  If certified, the amendment would immediately go into effect.

Get our free mobile app

Republicans have complained about Wolf's mandates, many of which impacted business across the Commonwealth and the re-upping of the Democrat's powers to make, change or amend COVID mandates.