Dec. 10, 2021
HARRISBURG – Following today’s ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissing the acting secretary of Health’s school masking order, Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and House Majority Leader Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) issued the following statement:
“We join the voices of millions of Pennsylvanians who are pleased to see our Commonwealth’s highest court agree that no unelected government bureaucrat should ever have the sole and unilateral authority to issue open-ended ‘orders’ – whether they focus on public health response or something else.
“This debate has never been about the effectiveness of masks in schools, or any other setting. It is about whether or not each branch of our state government and the officials who work in those branches will follow the law and respect our Constitution’s design that directs the legislative branch to make the laws that govern our people.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of how you feel about this particular issue. It shows that our system of checks and balances works in the interest of all people, so that no singular voice can silence the voice of free people who allow themselves to be governed.
“As we have strongly advocated for months, mitigations, strategies and decisions are best made at the local level. Today, local leaders are empowered to once again make the decisions that best fit the needs of their own communities as the challenges we face with regards to COVID-19 continue to evolve.”
Speaker Bryan Cutler
Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
