Pennsylvania’s governor Tom Wolf vetoed Monday a COVID-19 liability protection bill that would have made it more difficult to sue schools, health care providers and other businesses for coronavirus-related claims.
According to the Democratic Governor, the measure’s liability protections were so broad that they could be detrimental to public safety.
The Pennsylvania Government website stated that the COVID-19 liability protection bill “would have undermined COVID-19 mitigation efforts and endangered the public health by enacting overly broad immunity protections from civil liability due to the pandemic.”
“Providing immunity for a business that does not rigorously comply with public health orders does not ensure the safety of the public, its employees and is not in the public interest. At a time when the COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly, we need to be taken measures to ensure compliance with public health orders and improve safety practices. We should not be providing protection for noncompliance or carelessness,” Wolf added in the statement.
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The bill passed both chambers with mostly Republican support and Democratic opposition. The COVID-19 liability protection bill would have applied to cases of exposure to the coronavirus during a governor-declared disaster emergency.
Republican reaction
Supporters argued the pandemic should not impose on businesses and others expensive or even ruinous litigation. The bill had been supported by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
“It’s really a shame after all the governor has done to stand in the way of small business and devastate our economy he is once again blocking our attempt to do what needs to be done to help our businesses at this time,” state House Republican spokesman Jason Gottesman said.
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