HARRISBURG – Despite criticism, Governor Tom Wolf is standing firm on his threat to withhold CARES Act and other funding to non-compliant counties.
During a news conference call Tuesday, Governor Wolf says his mitigation orders and threats are ‘not infringing on liberty,” “I don’t think the commonwealth has been unreasonable. More than half the state has been reopened. I think we’ve done it the right way, and I think moving from red to yellow in the way we’ve done it is going to work. That was the message I was trying to send yesterday.”
Governor Wolf is also not backing down from his harsh words calling politicians of disobeying counties ‘cowards’ for giving up on the fight against COVID-19, “What I’m trying to do is keep people safe. I think that should be something everyone in Pennsylvania should be rallying around, including politicians. To the extent they don’t, I think they’re doing a disservice to the people they serve.”
So far, Schuylkill, Dauphin, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties have said they’ll defy the governor’s order and move themselves to the yellow phase with 13 other counties this Friday. Columbia County is meeting Wednesday morning to decide if they will defy the governor’s orders. Other consequences for non-compliant businesses include loss of various state certificates and licenses, not being insured, and employees can’t be forced to work at those defiant businesses.
Hear the entire press call with the governor below:
Audio Here:
