(HARRISBURG) – Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-25), Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-34), Senate Majority Whip John Gordner (R-27) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Pat Browne (R-16) today issued the following response to the Governor’s order that “non-life-sustaining” employers in Pennsylvania close their physical locations:
“We understand the dire health crisis COVID-19 presents in the Commonwealth. We understand that we are in uncharted territory as we try to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.
“At the same time, we know that every business is life-sustaining to someone – whether employers or employees. The economic devastation that is being caused will last long into the future, especially for small-business owners. Because of the manner in which the Governor released this information, we have more questions about his unilateral decision than there are answers.
“We are calling on the Governor to provide a process for the state’s employers to appeal this decree. Further, the Governor and the Secretaries of Labor and Industry and Community and Economic Development need to become transparent about their decision-making process and publicly answer the many questions this has raised.
“In the meantime, we strongly encourage employers and workers to learn more about resources that may be available to help them cope with the challenges that lie ahead. We will continue to do our part in ensuring every effort is made to help employers and our communities emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.
“We remain committed to working cooperatively with the Governor and state agencies to slow the spread of this dangerous virus and ease the impact of this crisis on individuals, families and employers. While at the same time, we will stand with our small-business owners who now face challenges that seemed unfathomable just a few weeks ago.”
CONTACT:
Kate Flessner – Senator Scarnati — kflessner@pasen.gov
Jennifer Kocher – Senatoar Corman — jkocher@pasen.gov
John Guyer – Senator Browne – jguyer@pasen.gov
Joshua Funk – Senator Gordner – jfunk@pasen.gov