Gov. Wolf vetoes school sports bill
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
School districts will have to follow guidelines set forth from the state Department of Health — despite a bill the Legislature passed allowing them to make individual choices for spectators at fall sports.
On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf stuck to his word and vetoed House Bill 2787, which would have given school districts the ability to set their own attendance limits for sports, scrimmages and other outdoor activities.
The bill passed the House and Senate by a two-thirds majority earlier this month and landed on Wolf’s desk Sept. 11, giving him 10 days to act.
Since then, Wolf indicated he intended to veto the bill and followed through on that promise Monday, which was the last day for him to act on the matter before it became law.
In a statement, Wolf called the bill “superfluous,” adding, “given that local school governing bodies already have authority, but it restricts state and local officials’ ability to respond to health concerns and potential outbreaks as we enter this year’s particularly risky flu season.”
“The bill would have done nothing more than create legislation for something that already exists,” Wolf added. “Instead of drafting bills such as this, the legislature should be focused on bills that protect the health and safety of our children in their learning environments, minimize exposure to COVID-19 and prevent the spread of this deadly virus.”
A federal judge in Pittsburgh ruled last week that Wolf’s orders restricting the size of gatherings and closing non-essential businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were unconstitutional.
Wolf’s administration plans to appeal the ruling, and restrictions will remain in place until the appeal is denied.
In a statement released Friday, the Department of Education recommended school districts “voluntarily enforce the 25-person indoor and 250-person outdoor gathering limitations while all of us wait for the court to rule on the stay request.”
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