Brown Urges Continued Vigilance as PA Works For Safe Planning of the Future
HARRISBURG – Rep. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe/Pike) today released the following statement regarding her vote in support of
Senate Bill 613, which was passed by the House (107-95)
“My vote on Senate Bill 613 was made with two important considerations in mind. The first consideration was for the health and safety of the people of the 189th District as I understand we will be concerned with COVID-19 for quite some time. The second consideration was to bring fairness, consistency and transparency to planning for the reopening of our economy over the coming months to help local families and small businesses.
“As has been widely reported, the governor’s “waiver program” for classifying life-sustaining businesses across our state has been rife with confusion, inconsistency and a lack of transparency about who may and may not receive waivers. Senate Bill 613 would require the governor to update his business operation mandate to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Homeland Security guidelines as documented by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on March 28. This legislation is a way to bring consistency to the process so that planning can occur in a logical, fair and safe manner as possible.
“While we would all like to see the economy return to normal operations, it is important to note that passage of this legislation (if signed into law) would not mean the immediate reopening of businesses across the state. In fact, the legislation’s reliance on federal CISA standards would continue to provide regional flexibility to address local issues such as those in the 189th District.
“Senate Bill 613 would also bring Pennsylvania in line with neighboring states, including those that the governor has now aligned with on a new regional recovery task force. It also would direct that any business which may be able to open is operating under the strict CDC recommendations for safety that ensures the health and welfare of workers.
“I will continue, as I have over the past months, to advocate for the overall best interests of the 189th District during this pandemic. Working cooperatively with local residents, the governor’s office and other elected officials, we have been successful in dealing with issues such as the temporary stoppage of the Martz bus line to and from New York, and the cessation of short-term rentals in our community to protect public health.
“While I understand that some have reservations about different portions of this legislation, I voted in support of it as a steppingstone to allow for further measures to be discussed, analyzed and instituted in the coming weeks and months as we work to help our overall community. In the meantime, we must all remain vigilant in our personal efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.”
Representative Rosemary Brown
189th Legislative District
PA House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abby Krueger
717.260.6617
akrueger@pahousegop.com
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