Harrisburg, Pa. – Today, Governor Tom Wolf signed a fourth renewal of his 90-day Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first proclamation was signed on March 6, following the announcement of the first two presumptive positive cases of the virus in Pennsylvania.

“COVID-19 vaccinations have begun, but we are still in the early stages of vaccine administration,” said Governor Wolf. “We will continue to prioritize a safe, efficient and equitable distribution process, and expect vaccinations to increase as the federal government makes more vaccine available to states. This renewal will allow the commonwealth to maintain its response and support efforts as we continue testing, contact tracing and vaccination efforts to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”

The emergency disaster declaration provides for increased support to state agencies involved in the continued response to the virus and recovery for the state during reopening. This includes expediting supply procurement and lifting certain regulations to allow for efficient and effective mitigation.

The disaster declaration has allowed for waivers and extensions to continue to provide for Pennsylvanians and businesses under the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, including the ability to waive the one-week waiting period to receive unemployment compensation, work search requirements, and the registration with PA CareerLink for applicants, and to provide relief from charges for employers; and allowing the commonwealth to suspend numerous training requirements and certification and licensure renewals for health care professionals, child care workers, direct care workers, direct support professionals, among other professional groups who provide life-sustaining services to our children, seniors, and vulnerable residents. It allows the commonwealth to increase the number of vaccine providers and improve vaccine distribution.

Through the disaster declaration, PEMA has been able to mission assign the National Guard to provide various types of support for long term care facilities, including providing direct patient care support, ancillary support, and testing, and at community-based testing sites. It also provides PEMA with the ability to leverage continued federal support such as non-congregate sheltering.

The renewed disaster declaration will continue to support all of these efforts, as well as allow the commonwealth to rapidly scale response efforts and employ new intervention tactics.

The Department of Health’s Department Operations Center at PEMA continues to be active, as is the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center there.

A Proclamation of Disaster Emergency is effective for a 90-day period unless sooner rescinded or extended by official action of the Governor.

Pittsburgh, PA – To reinforce the importance of specific state laws, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) urges drivers to review and obey safety laws that may not be well known among the public as part of Highway Safety Law Awareness Week.

Highway Safety Law Awareness Week, which runs through February 27, brings attention to state laws that are often violated or forgotten by the traveling public. These laws are in place to promote safety and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities due to roadway crashes.

While several safety laws have been included this year, District 11 would like to highlight the following as reminders which may be lesser known:

• “Prohibiting Use of Hearing Impairment Devices” law prohibits any driver from wearing headphones while behind the wheel. This section does not prohibit the use of a headset in conjunction with a cell phone which provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other. Wearing headphones while behind the wheel limits the driver’s ability to hear sirens belonging to emergency responders.

• Title 75, Section 3112 under “Traffic Control Signals,” dictates laws surrounding traffic lights. As part of a 2016 amendment, the law includes instruction on what can be done if a driver believes the traffic light is not functioning properly. This includes when the light’s “sensor” does not detect the vehicle. In this case, drivers are instructed to stop in the same manner as a stop sign and can proceed when it is safe to do so.

• Title 75, Section 4302 under “Wipers On, Headlights On” requires that all vehicles should have their headlights on anytime the windshield wipers are operating in continuous or intermittent use in response to inclement weather including but not limited to rain, snow, fog, sleet, or mist.

Highway Safety Traffic Laws are enforced in an effort to keep the public safe on the road; however, everyone must do their part in order to reach this goal. Motorists are encouraged to use this safety week as an opportunity to educate themselves and others on safe road habits.

(Independence Twp., Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to the scene of a reported domestic violence incident Friday evening on Ridge Road in Independence Twp.

The incident occurred around 6:30 PM. When State Police arrived it was discovered that the unidentified female involved had an active PFA against the unidentified male involved in the incident. The PFA was confirmed and the male was taken into to custody and transported to the Beaver County jail without incident.

No further information is available.

(Monaca, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police Beaver Barracks  is reporting that they pulled over a 47-year-old female driver from Rochester on Friday night, February 20, 2021, driving a 2007 Ford F-150 in the 100 block of 17^th Street in Monaca for a traffic violation. During the stop the unidentified driver showed signs of impairment. State Troopers administered SFST’s and the driver subsequently was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance Charges are pending once police receive the results of a blood test.

(New Wilmington, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police have identified the two people who died last Thursday died during an incident in New Wilmington. One of the victims was shot and killed by police.

State police said New Wilmington police officers responded to a home along South New Castle Street where they found 33-year-old Juan Hernandez of Campbell, Ohio, beating a woman with a blunt instrument. Officers told him to stop the attack, the suspect refused, and a New Wilmington Police Officer opened fire killing Hernandez.

The victim was 24-year-old Chyna Carrillo, a transgender woman, who recently moved to the area from Arizona to work as a certified nurse’s aid. Carrillo died from her injuries at the hospital.

Pa State Police are continuing their investigation to find out exactly what led to the deadly incident.

Keystone State News Connection

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Judicial-independence organizations are celebrating a temporary victory now that a proposed amendment to the state constitution will not be on the ballot in the May primary.

House Bill 38 would create judicial districts drawn by state legislators and impose a residency requirement for the election of appellate court judges.

Republican lawmakers who introduced the amendment say it would give different regions of the state more representation on the state Supreme Court.

Deborah Gross, President and CEO of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, countered it would make judges who currently are selected in statewide elections less independent and more like state legislators who need to be responsive to a local electorate.

“The appellate-court judges determine the law applicable to all Pennsylvania citizens,” Gross emphasized. “They don’t take one geographic area into consideration when they are making their decisions.”

The full House and Senate needed to pass House Bill 38 last week for it to appear on the May ballot but it did not come up for a vote. If passed later this year, it will be on the ballot in November.

Gross argued the measure is a partisan effort to reshape the state Supreme Court to be more favorable to Republicans who hold majorities in both houses of the General Assembly. She noted it had passed the House in 2019 but lay dormant until last July.

“After the Supreme Court had issued some decisions concerning closures with respect to COVID, voting and elections, it was reintroduced quickly because there was a lot of displeasure with the court’s ruling,” Gross explained.

Five of the seven justices currently on the Supreme Court are Democrats.

Republican legislators still want to put the amendment on the November ballot. Gross pointed out that, so far, the bill has been pushed through without hearings, expert testimony or debate, but she is hopeful that may change.

“I did just read that Sen. [Jake] Corman, [R-Bellefonte] recognizes that there needs to be some hearings on this now, maybe the topic of merit appointments should be discussed, that this bill should be reviewed with a little bit of caution,” Gross remarked.

The Judicial Independence Project of Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 125 organizations, has pledged to continue its efforts in opposition to the bill.