Southcentral House Republicans Move to Expand COVID-19 Testing

Apr. 29, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – House Democrats today blocked a measure which would have provided the Wolf administration with necessary COVID-19 testing tools it requested to help protect Pennsylvanians and reopen the state. Southcentral region state legislators, including House Appropriations Majority Chairman Stan Saylor (R-Red Lion) and Reps. Torren Ecker (R-Abbottstown), Dawn Keefer (R-Dillsburg), Kate Klunk (R-Hanover), Dan Moul (R-Gettysburg), Seth Grove (R-Dover), Mike Jones (R-York Township), Greg Rothman (R-Camp Hill), Sheryl Delozier (R-Lower Allen Township), Paul Schemel (R-Franklin), Mark Keller (R-Perry/Cumberland) and Barb Gleim (R-Carlisle), issued the following statement:

Turzai Asks Hospital Association How Many Hospital Beds are COVID-occupied

Apr. 29, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Seeking reliable data information, Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) sent a letter to the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania asking for information and updates about how many of the state’s 37,000 hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Provide COVID-19 Data, Speaker Turzai Again Asks Secretary of Health

Apr. 29, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – As with any informed decision-making process, reliable and current data is essential for the public and legislature as Pennsylvania transitions to a path of recovery. In an attempt to access this important data, Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) sent the Secretary of Health the attached letter today.

The Time is Now to Properly Honor First Responders, Maloney Says

Apr. 29, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) has introduced legislation that would designate Sept. 27 of each year as “First Responders Day” in Pennsylvania to honor the men and women on the front lines who sacrifice so much to protect the lives and property of others.

House Approves Gleim Bill to Monitor Fiscal Pitfalls

Apr. 28, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland) today announced that the House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 2392, legislation she authored along with esteemed colleague Rep. Frank Ryan of Lebanon County.

Polinchock’s Bill to Allow Safe Real Estate Transactions Passes House, Heads to Senate

Apr. 28, 2020 /

HARRISBURG—The House today passed legislation by Rep. Todd Polinchock (R-Bucks), House Bill 2412, to require the secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development to issue a waiver to the COVID-19 Business Closure Order to allow all real estate-related activities that can adhere to social distancing practices and other mitigation measures defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

House Approves Bill to Create Bipartisan COVID-19 Review Task Force, Grove Says

Apr. 28, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing response has put an enormous strain on Pennsylvanians and state government. To help ensure Pennsylvania and its residents come out stronger than they were before the pandemic, the House approved House Bill 2419 by Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover) to form a bipartisan COVID-19 cost and recovery task force.

Lawrence Bill to Expand COVID-19 Testing Passes Committee

Apr. 27, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Legislation passed earlier today would facilitate rapid COVID-19 testing for Chester County’s health care workers and first responders. Introduced by Rep. John Lawrence (R-West Grove), House Bill 2455 gives Chester County the green light to implement Coronavirus antibody testing that complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance.

Metzgar Urges Governor to Restructure Plan to “Reopen” Pennsylvania

Apr. 27, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset/Bedford) today wrote a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf, urging him to consider restructuring his plan to reopen Pennsylvania. The letter comes in response to Wolf’s plan to reopen the Commonwealth on a regional basis, rather than a county basis as he did when he closed them.

Speaker Turzai, Members of the Allegheny County Delegation Ask Secretary of Health to Allow Hospitals to Open in Allegheny County

Apr. 27, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, joined by members of the Allegheny County House delegation, sent the attached letter to Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, requesting she allow hospitals and health systems in the Allegheny County area to reopen to allow for the treatment of COVID-19 patients as well as the pre-planned, medically necessary surgeries that are currently being prevented.

Diamond, Klunk, Ecker Sponsor Bill to Open Local Garden Centers

Apr. 24, 2020 /

HARRISBURG - Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) has introduced House Bill 2429, which would grant a waiver to the governor's COVID-19 Business Closure Order to all lawn and garden equipment and supplies stores that can adhere to the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effectively opening them up for in-person operations.

House Government Oversight Committee to Investigate Business Closures as Part of COVID-19 Response

Apr. 24, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – There are a lot of questions arising from Gov. Tom Wolf’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of which is the business closures and the waiver system to allow certain businesses to remain operational. To seek answers to these questions, Wolf suggested the House Government Oversight Committee be tasked with investigating the closures and the non-standard waiver process, Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover), chairman of the committee, announced today.

House Republicans Along Pennsylvania’s Southern Tier Issue Statement on Wolf’s Regional Council

Apr. 23, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf took the unprecedented step to join a regional council of governors to dictate how and when stay-at-home orders will be lifted, and Pennsylvania businesses will reopen during the COVID-19 crisis. In response, a group of Republican members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, comprised of Reps Kate Klunk (R-York), Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Franklin/Fulton), Paul Schemel (R-Franklin), Dan Moul (R-Adams), Mike Jones (R-York), John Lawrence (R-Chester/Lancaster) Matt Dowling (R-Somerset/Fayette), Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset/Bedford) and House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and House Appropriations Chair Stan Saylor (R-York), whose districts are along the state’s southern tier issued the following statement: