×

Bill which would allow schools to decide on fans fails override vote

The author of a bill which would have allowed individual school districts to decide how many fans could attend high school games said he was “dumbfounded” Wednesday after a vote to override Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto of the bill failed in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mount Pleasant, had found bi-partisan support for his bill as it passed through both the House and Senate easily before being vetoed by Wolf on Monday. But when the bill was brought to the floor for an override vote Wednesday afternoon, 25 House Democrats voted against a bill they supported on its initial vote 21 days earlier. The override vote failed to get a 2/3 majority approval from the house, failing 130-71. The bill fell four yes votes shy of moving to the Senate.

“I am dumbfounded by the 24 members who decided loyalty to their governor was more important than our kids and their families,” Reese said in a statement Wednesday. “All the students want is the opportunity to play and perform; all their loved ones want is the opportunity to watch their children and learn the many important lessons that go along with participating in team sports and group activities.”

Schools have been under Wolf’s mandate of no gatherings of more than 250 people at outdoor events and 25 people for indoor events since fall interscholastic sports began earlier this month. While some fans, mostly parents, have been able to attend high school football games, schools have largely left its bleachers unoccupied to comply with Wolf’s guidelines.

But last week a district court declared the measures Wolf took to curtail the spread of COVID-19 unconstitutional, including limiting the number of people allowed at gatherings both indoors and outdoors. Wolf asked for U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV to stay his own rulings about the gathering limits, but Stickman, a Donald Trump appointee, denied the request.

For now, schools are free to admit as many fans as they want to sporting events and other extracurricular activities. Wolf asked school districts to voluntarily enforce the guidelines which he had set. Last week, Shikellamy voted to allow 500 fans into its football game after Wolf’s guidelines were deemed unconstitutional. Wilson West Lawn in District 11 allowed 600 fans. And Karns City in District 9, opened its gate to all fans.

Reese’s bill would have been a quicker resolution to the question of how many fans can attend interscholastic sporting events than the court battle which is about to be waged by Wolf’s administration. When the bill was brought before the House of Representatives on Sept. 2, it passed 155-47, garnering yes votes from more than 76% of the House members. It later was passed by the Senate, 39-11, with 78% approval.

Wolf vetoed the bill Monday, waiting the maximum of 10 days after the Senate passed it despite having said almost immediately he would veto the bill. Yesterday, 25 House Democrats who supported the bill three weeks ago changed their vote.

“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,” Reese said in his statement. “The governor gave local school officials the authority to make decisions about how to return students to learning this fall. His unwillingness to give them the same authority to make decisions about sports, activities and spectators is nothing more than a continuation of his power grab. Sadly, he cajoled enough of his members into supporting him instead of the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

“When we first considered this bill I was genuinely sympathetic to it. I do believe those (capacity) numbers need to be revised. I believe capacity for indoor youth sports does need to be revised and I would encourage the administration to revisit that,” said Rep. Mike Zabel, D-Drexel Hill, who voted yes for the bill on Sept. and no to the veto override yesterday. “But the hard truth is capacity limits have saved lives in Pennsylvania — thousands. And it is not the time to do away with them. … I want to keep out student-athletes and their families safe. And at a time when Pennsylvanians, so many of them are in need, or sick, or scared, or all three, they deserve more from their legislature than a frivolous debate about bleachers at a football game. This is a frivolous use of legislative resources and I cannot in good conscience support it.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today