GREENSBURG — Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) offered the following reaction to the Shapiro administration’s announcement to withdrawal the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s proposed regulations on Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases from the Independent Regulatory Review Commission following pressure from Pennsylvanians rejecting Gov. Shapiro’s attempt at overreach:
“Democracy has spoken. Once again, the people of Pennsylvania stood tall and used their voices to declare independence from the executive branch by outright rejecting Gov. Shapiro’s proposed health department regulations. The truth is, Gov. Shapiro continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth and has once again demonstrated he is willing to prioritize a political agenda over protecting the personal freedoms and liberties of Pennsylvanians.
“To the people of Pennsylvania, today is a victorious day for our commonwealth and I am incredibly proud you stepped up again and made your voices heard. Thank you. Make no mistake, Gov. Shapiro’s actions should be a warning signal to you, as the Shapiro administration continues to test the boundaries of the separation of powers already well established in our Constitution and only when caught do they retreat.
“To Gov. Shapiro, Pennsylvanians have already spoken when it comes to government interference in our lives when they voted to limit the governor’s executive powers with the passage of the constitutional amendment following the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s time to listen to Pennsylvanians instead of ‘trying to run roughshod’ over us.”
CONTACT: Erica Clayton Wright; 412-334-4856