Wolf: politicians who defy state orders are acting in ‘most cowardly way’

Warns of consequences for reopening ahead of schedule

Posted

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf took on a harsher-than-usual tone during a press briefing on Monday, May 11. Making the COVID-19 analogous to a foreign enemy during a time of war, Wolf criticized some for surrendering.

“These are politicians who were elected to serve their fellow citizens, others are business owners who have chosen to serve their customers by putting them in harm’s way,” he said. “These folks are choosing to desert in the face of the enemy.”

Recently, officials in some PA counties—including Beaver, Lebanon and Dauphin—have declared that they will reopen their counties ahead of Wolf’s schedule, or choose not to prosecute businesses that open prematurely. Other politicians have attempted to put pressure on Wolf to open counties up sooner than currently slated.

Last Friday, Wayne and Susquehanna counties’ Rep. Jonathan Fritz issued a statement after learning that Susquehanna would not move to the yellow phase of reopening until Thursday, June 4.

“Our residents are in dire straits with most being out of work or having to close their business,” said Fritz. “To say I am upset with the governor’s decision to extend his order in our rural region is an understatement. The data is not there to warrant ongoing hardship. Pennsylvanians’ financial losses are severe and continue to mount. We need to get back to work now.”

The same day, State Sen. Lisa Baker posted a video to Facebook saying that Wolf’s exclusion of Northeast counties from reopening on May 15 has “created a firestorm of anger and frustration.”

“The negative state actions toward our situation continue to strike area residents as arbitrary and illogical. There is no solution but to keep the pressure on, and I will pursue every possible avenue,” Baker said in the text of her post.

Wolf said that politicians who are encouraging their constituents to defy Wolf’s orders are acting in a “most cowardly way.” He warned that counties that reopen ahead of the mandated schedule will not be eligible for federal stimulus discretionary spending.

For business owners, Wolf further warned that resuming operations could risk their liability insurance. Restaurants that reopen dine-in services could lose their liquor licenses. Wolf also told employees that if their bosses choose to reopen illegally, they can stay home and continue to collect unemployment benefits.

Click here to see data used when deciding which counties to reopen and which to keep closed.

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