Pa. House Fails to Override Wolf’s Veto of Sports Spectator Bill

HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) – House Republicans failed in their attempt to override Governor Wolf’s veto of a bill that would have allowed Pennsylvania school districts to determine their own capacity limits for sporting events.

On Wednesday, the House voted 130-71 to override Wolf’s veto, falling short of the necessary two-thirds majority.

Despite originally passing with the requisite two-thirds majority to override a veto, several House members changed their votes following the Governor’s veto.

House Bill No. 2787 was drafted by state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Westmoreland/Somerset after Gov. Wolf imposed restrictions that limited events to 250 people outdoors and 25 people indoors amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Reese issued the following statement in response to Wednesday’s vote:

“I am dumbfounded by the 24 members who decided loyalty to their governor was more important than our kids and their families,” Reese said. “All the students want is the opportunity to play and perform; all their loved ones want is the opportunity to watch their children shine and learn the many important lessons that go along with participating in team sports and group activities. The members who voted against the override — particularly those who initially supported the bill and now changed their vote — should be ashamed of the disregard they have shown to the people they were elected to represent.”

The future of mandated capacity limits in Pennsylvania is already in doubt, as a federal judge recently ruled Gov. Wolf’s gathering limits to be unconstitutional.

Several school districts across the state are already setting their own capacity limits as a result of the ruling.

“School districts, they’re going to do what they do, but there’s a virus out there and that virus really likes it when you bring a lot of people together,” said Wolf on Monday. “That’s what we know. And so you ignore that at your peril. Yeah, you could ignore reality. But that reality really is the virus is out to get us. As much as I hate that fact and as much as everybody hates that fact, it’s a fact.”