Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-34) reiterated that the Senate will vote to override Governor Wolf’s veto of a bill that would allow school districts to implement their own health and safety plans for sports, extracurricular activities and spectators when the measure is received from the House of Representatives.
Under the Constitution, because the bill originated in the House, that chamber must first gain a two-thirds majority vote in order to override the Governor’s veto. It would then go to the Senate for consideration where a two-thirds majority vote is also needed.
In originally passing House Bill 2787, the House voted 155-47, with 135 votes needed to override a veto. The Senate originally passed the bill by a vote of 39-11, with 34 votes needed for an override.
Corman issued the following statement about a vote to override the veto:
“For months, Governor Wolf has stubbornly refused to work with or trust anyone outside of his own Administration – not legislative leaders, not healthcare professionals, not local government officials, not school officials, and now not even the members of his own party who supported this bipartisan bill. The longer this go-it-alone approach continues, the more Pennsylvania communities will suffer.
“House Bill 2787 earned the support of Republicans and Democrats alike because it entrusts schools to make the best decisions possible for their students and communities. It includes safeguards to ensure any resurgence of the virus can be contained.
“Once the House takes action, we are ready to bring a veto override up for a vote immediately in the Senate. I remain hopeful that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will have the courage and conviction to do what is best for Pennsylvania, and not what is in the best political interests of the governor.
“We remain willing to work with the governor to respond to the virus and strengthen our communities, but that is not going to happen if he continues to ignore the will of the people.”