UPDATED: 5:19 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania House failed to override Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto of a bill on Wednesday, which would have given school districts more say in how they handle youth sports this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote was 130-71, falling short of the necessary two-thirds majority — which came as a surprise, since the bill passed the House earlier this month 155-47.
The prime sponsor, state Rep. Mike Reese, said he’s dumbfounded by the 24 members of the House who changed their vote, saying they “decided loyalty to their governor was more important than our kids and their families.”
Democratic state Rep. Mike Zabel from Delaware County was one of those who changed his vote. He supported the bill initially because he thinks capacities like the 25-person limit for indoor sports need to be adjusted, but he voted “no” simply because the restriction saved lives.
“The hard fact is, capacity limits have saved lives in Pennsylvania. Thousands. And it is not time to do away with them,” he said. “To quote our late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that would be like throwing your umbrella away in a downpour because you’re not getting wet.”
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff accused Democrats of caving to political pressure instead of standing up for constituents.
The failure to override H.B. 2787 follows a tough day for the Wolf administration. On Tuesday, a federal judge denied their request for a stay on a ruling that declared limits of the sizes of gathering unconstitutional.
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The state House, however, did vote to send another bill to the governor on Wednesday — H.B. 2513, which would limit the governor’s ability to put restrictions on bars and restaurants.
The House agreed to Senate amendments on the bill, 145-56.
State Sen. Patrick Stefano, who argued for the passage of the bill, said it would still require masks and 6 feet of distance between restaurant patrons, but it would mandate that any future restaurant restrictions could only be set at a minimum of 50% capacity.
“Additionally, this legislation will remove the ban on bar service and remove the meal restriction to purchase alcohol,” he said.
Stefano said the bill would give restaurants much-needed stability.
“They have continuously faced arbitrary and burdensome regulations,” he added.
However, state Sen. Art Haywood said the regulations were put in place for a reason. Plus, he noted the restaurant workers who his fellow legislators say they’re so concerned about are being paid $2.83 an hour.
“What I’ve heard is fear,” he said on behalf of restaurant workers. “Fear that individuals will come and not have masks on. And then, what are they to do? They’re not TSA officers. They don’t have any weapons or any other devices to protect themselves.”
Before the vote on H.B. 2513, Democratic state Rep. Gerald Mullery from Luzerne County noted the bill will likely head for a veto as well.