Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman is happy with the latest move from the State Department of Health that they are withdrawing a 502-page proposed health regulation rewrite that would have updated disease tracking and control regulations.
The document pulled from the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission included multiple amendments and changes to the regulatory code focusing on communicable and noncommunicable diseases. A part that received a lot of attention was that the department or a local health authority could enter an apartment, building, health care facility, school, college or other location as necessary to conduct investigations. Republican leaders, including Pittman compared that change with entering someone’s home without a warrant.
Pittman said in his own statement that the withdraw was a “tremendous ictory for the grassroots efforts of Pennsylvanians. The people of Pennsylvania have been loud and clear in making their voices heard.” He along with other Republicans had encouraged citizens to submit comment to the department. He added, ““This is a stark reminder that we must continue to be vigilant when the Executive Branch attempts overreach. We cannot and will not allow actions like we saw taken by the Executive Branch during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to be put in place again. Protecting the freedoms and rights of Pennsylvanians remains of utmost importance for our Senate Republican Caucus.”
