School masks spur state fights
As students prepare for the fall semester and COVID-19 cases tick up, school mask rules are fast becoming the latest front in the war over pandemic policy.
Lawmakers are proposing state laws to govern mask policy, while angry parents pack school board meetings and clash over rules intended to halt the pandemic无毛视频檚 renewed spread. State officials haven无毛视频檛 issued mandates for students, leaving a patchwork of district policies and clashing bills in Harrisburg.
无毛视频淲e believe that parents and legal guardians have the fundamental right to make health and educational decisions that are best-suited for their children,无毛视频� said Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, and Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Adams, in a memo calling for an opt-out school mask policy.
Ward and Mastriano haven无毛视频檛 yet filed text for the proposal, but they said students who don无毛视频檛 wear masks should be seated normally and allowed to participate fully in school activities. The senators included a list of mask-wearing effects they claim parents have cited, including 无毛视频渓earning impairment.无毛视频�
Some districts 无毛视频� citing the spread of the coronavirus delta variant 无毛视频� have issued temporary rules requiring all students to wear masks when the academic year begins. More than 200 children are being hospitalized with COVID-19 each day across the country, particularly in regions with lower vaccination rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Videos have circulated across the state of raucous board meetings, with some parents arguing for mask mandates and others demanding exemptions.
Across the aisle, Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Delaware, has made his own proposal: Allowing parents of children sickened by the virus to sue the parents of classmates who refuse masks. He compared the proposal to truancy laws that hold parents accountable for their kids无毛视频� behavior.
无毛视频淢y hope is that this legislation is ultimately unnecessary,无毛视频� Williams wrote, 无毛视频渂ut given the anemic vaccination rates in many parts of the commonwealth it is vital to ensuring the safety of school children.无毛视频�
Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf declined to issue a statewide rule on masks for students. In some GOP-controlled states, including Texas, officials have sought to ban school mask mandates outright.
Renters move to stave off evictions
Renters across the state face legal uncertainty as a patchwork of federal and local protections holds back a feared eviction crisis.
At the start of August, federal pandemic protections for renters briefly expired, leaving a swirl of questions as property owners in some areas filed to remove tenants. President Joe Biden无毛视频檚 administration then issued a new order protecting renters in areas where coronavirus is spreading more swiftly.
That leaves a complex map: In the state无毛视频檚 most populous counties and many surrounding areas, tenants can still avoid eviction if they claim pandemic protections. And even in some counties where federal protections no longer apply, local court orders have held back evictions temporarily.
Protections can change week to week, as well, as Centers for Disease Control officials study statistics and update their pandemic maps.
All this could end if legal challenges prove successful. Groups representing landlords have already filed challenges against Biden无毛视频檚 new order, while tenant rights groups have rushed to secure more protections through Pennsylvania courts.
The fight over evictions continues as hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds await distribution to Pennsylvania tenants and landlords who can无毛视频檛 make payments. The relief funds average $6,000 for approved households, acting Human Services Secretary Meg Snead told Spotlight PA.
Bill mandates election time off
Lawmakers aren无毛视频檛 set to return to Harrisburg until fall, but some are already working to carve out new election laws when they get back.
While Wolf and GOP leaders negotiate an election bill through speeches and press releases, Sen. John Kane, D-Chester, is proposing time off for Pennsylvanians to vote.
Last week, Kane said he will introduce a bill that would make Election Day a state and municipal holiday, while requiring private employers to offer two hours无毛视频� unpaid leave for voting. Those that fail to offer the time off would face a $1,000 fine.
无毛视频淧ennsylvanians holding jobs with rigid schedules, long commutes and lengthy workdays often face limited opportunities to vote, and long lines at their polling places in the short window they have to do so,无毛视频� he said.
The proposal is one of several circulating in Harrisburg as politicians move in fits and starts toward a new election law. Republicans have demanded a voter ID requirement and tougher registration timeframes, drawing opposition from Wolf and his allies.
An attempt to pass a sweeping election law failed before the summer recess.
Ryan Brown covers statewide politics for Ogden Newspapers. He can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com.