Pennsylvania could soon provide $145 million in support to struggling businesses across the Commonwealth impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding would come in the form of grants under a program announced by Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday, allocating the state aid to businesses hit hardest by the mitigation efforts and closures caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The governor said Pennsylvania businesses have had to make extreme sacrifices over the last year due to COVID-19, and they have worked hard to prioritize the health and safety of customers. That effort deserves state support, Gov. Wolf said on Wednesday.

Many businesses have been decimated by the restrictions imposed by the state, particularly restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters and other entertainment venues. In addition to closures issued at the outset of the pandemic this past spring, the administration imposed new, temporary restrictions on many indoor businesses, including indoor entertainment and dining venues earlier this month. The temporary measures are set to expire Jan. 4, and the governor indicated on Wednesday that he has no plans to extend the restrictions beyond that date. Gov. Wolf faced significant criticism of the new mitigation efforts, particularly from bars and restaurants.

The governor said the money for the new grant program, which would be transferred from the state's Insurance Department’s Workers’ Compensation Security Fund, would have to be appropriated by the state Legislature. He urged the General Assembly to swiftly act on the fund transfer and "allocate this funding as quickly as possible" to businesses affected by the pandemic.

Gov. Wolf said his administration has provided more than a half billion dollars in support to businesses and non-profits across the state, in addition to federal funding that has come from programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

In what could jeopardize more than $900 billion in federal COVID-19 aid for individuals and businesses, President Donald Trump asked Congress to redo the latest pandemic relief proposal that received bipartisan support earlier this week.

The president specifically called out what he said was a "ridiculously low" provision to provide $600 in direct payments to individuals that was contained in the bill, and instead asked Congress to increase that number to $2,000 per person. In addition, President Trump said he was concerned that the relief package contained measures that were not related to the pandemic. He is asking Congress to "immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation" and send him a new proposal.

House Democrats jumped on President Trump's offer of higher direct payments to individuals, saying they have advocated for the $2,000 amount only to receive resistance from Senate Republican leaders. According to reports, Democrats may attempt to pass a separate bill as early as Thursday of this week that would allocate the higher, $2,000 direct payments.

Pa. Senator calls for bipartisan election reform committee to review 2020 election. Pennsylvania's top ranking Republican state Senator will soon introduce a resolution calling for the creation of a bipartisan special committee to review the state's handling of the 2020 Presidential Election. Sen. Jake Corman, who is slated to become the President Pro Tempore of the state Senate, said his proposal would create the Special Committee on Election Integrity and Reform, tasked with studying the security and uniformity of the election process, as well as the impact the state Supreme Court and Secretary of State may have had on the election.

Phila. extends restrictions for indoor activities until Jan. 15. Health officials with the city of Philadelphia announced this week that they are extending the municipality's restrictions on "high-risk indoor activities" until Jan. 15 to preemptively combat an expected surge in coronavirus cases. The city's restrictions were set to end Jan. 1, but activities such as indoor dining, playing organized sports, attending theaters, visiting casinos and participating in college classes will remain banned until Jan. 15.

PIAA files lawsuit to restrict access to records, says it should not be part of state's Right to Know law. Pennsylvania's high school athletics governing body has filed a lawsuit against the state and its Office of Open Records last week, saying the entity should not be subject to the state’s Right to Know Law. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) is considered a state-affiliated entity under the state's Right to Know law, but the PIAA is contending the nonprofit organization "has never been a commonwealth authority or entity."

University of Pittsburgh receives funding to study heath impacts of fracking. Gov. Tom Wolf has awarded the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health $2.5 million to study the potential health risks and impacts of fracking in Pennsylvania. The funding will be used to study hydraulic fracturing and its potential impact on childhood cancer, asthma and other birth outcomes, using data collected from southwestern Pennsylvania.

McNees attorney discusses how recent court decision impacts Pa. ethics law. In the most recent McNees Public Sector Blog post, McNees attorney Sarah Hyser-Staub details how a recent decision in Sivick v. State Ethics Commission will impact the Commonwealth's Public Ethics Law. The McNees Public Sector Blog provides information on the latest updates, analysis, and commentary on the unique legal issues that face Pennsylvania's governmental entities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 9,230 new positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide on Thursday, bringing the state total to 590,386. In addition, 14,718 Pennsylvanians have died from complications from the virus. To date, there have nearly 3.2 million negative cases across the state. In addition, the state's Department of Health said that more than seven million PCR test results have been reported to the department to date.

The Ohio Department of Health reported 653,650 cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 8,456 deaths, including probable cases, by Thursday afternoon. There have been 36,345 hospitalizations and 5,675 ICU admissions.

The situation surrounding COVID-19 is changing by the hour. Capitol Buzz will do its best to keep our readers as up-to-date as possible as to local, state and federal actions relating to the virus.

As we have stated in previous editions, for those businesses seeking guidance or assistance on how to proceed during this unprecedented time, please contact the McNees Labor and Employment Practice Group, or for government relations and nonprofit consulting assistance please contact the McNees Strategic Solutions Group (MSSG).

You can also visit the McNees COVID-19 Article & Resource Page for more information on various legal and political issues created by the novel coronavirus.

For more information on what you can do to protect yourself and others, check out the CDC's coronavirus information page or visit www.health.pa.gov.

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