I’m voting “Yes” on ballot questions 1 & 2 on May 18
Letter to the editors of Centre Daily Times and Centre County Gazette sent a couple of weeks ago.
As an independent citizen unaffiliated with any political party, I will be voting “Yes” on two ballot questions to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution at the primary May 18.
I will be voting “Yes” on Question 1, which, if approved by Pennsylvania voters, will explicitly empower state legislators to terminate a state of emergency declared by any future Governor by a simple majority.
I will also be voting “Yes” on Question 2, which will limit any Governor’s power to declare an emergency to 21 days, after which point it will expire unless extended by concurrent resolutions in the two houses of the General Assembly.
Since March 2020, Governor Wolf has held the citizens of Pennsylvania under house arrest (stay-at-home orders) and restraining orders (social distancing orders). He has abused the office of Governor, unilaterally suspending our individual civil liberties: freedom of movement, freedom of speech (mask mandates as coerced speech), freedom of association and assembly (occupancy limitations in public and private spaces), childrens’ right to public education (school restrictions), and the right to earn a living (business and employment restrictions).
Wolf has done all this unchecked by legislative or judicial branches of government, and without these amendments, the first opportunity for voters to stop him will be the next gubernatorial election.
Amending the state Constitution won’t make it impossible for Wolf and any future Governor - of any political party - to impose such tyranny on the citizens of Pennsylvania unchecked.
But it will make it slightly less likely.
