HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following statement on the school and day care mask mandate issued by the Wolf administration today:

“After months of telling Pennsylvanians that mitigation orders are a thing of the past, the Wolf administration once again went back on its word and issued another ill-advised statewide mandate that deprives Pennsylvania communities of local control and community self-determination in public health decisions.

“Data clearly shows that this virus affects different areas of Pennsylvania in dissimilar ways, which is why local control that reflects on-the-ground realities is imperative. History shows that a one-sized, fits-all approach to public health causes more anxiety and frustration than decisions made at the local level with local input.
“What’s more is that local control has been working. School boards and local governments have been hearing from families and individuals and making the decisions that best fit their community needs and reflect their community values.

“Unfortunately, the administration has turned a deaf ear to the people of Pennsylvania who passed two constitutional amendments in May that sent a clear message that things need to work differently in this state. House Republicans stand ready to follow through on that and are already in the process of taking a serious look at potential legislative changes that address this administration’s misuse of current law.

“We share in the goal of promoting public health and ending this pandemic as quickly as possible. As we review the specifics of this mandate, all options remain on the table. We will continue to exercise the voice of the people in seeking local control in these decisions.”

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