Cook Outraged by Gathering Limits

October 6, 2020

HARRISBURG – After U.S. District Judge Williams Stickman IV ruled Gov. Wolf’s gathering limits unconstitutional, a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed them to be put back into place. Gov. Wolf has since updated his gathering limit criteria, but it is still far from constitutional. Rep. Cook (R-Washington/Fayette) is outraged.

“The fact that our governor ever put such gathering limits on our Commonwealth is ridiculous,” Cook said. “We are a democracy, not a dictatorship. After a federal court ruling and months of pushback from citizens, Gov. Wolf has updated his gathering limit guidelines even though it is not his place to tell us how many people can go where.”

Starting Friday, indoor venues with a maximum occupancy of 2,000 people will be permitted to admit 20% capacity. For venues with a minimum occupancy of 2,001 and maximum occupancy of 10,000, 15% of maximum occupancy will be allowed. For venues with a maximum occupancy of 10,000, 10% will be allowed. “This capacity limit makes no sense,” Cook said. “Occupancy percentage should increase with occupancy capacity limits, not decrease.”

Outdoor venues with a maximum capacity of 2,000 will allow 25% capacity in. For venues with a minimum occupancy of 2,001 and maximum occupancy of 10,000, 20% of maximum occupancy will be allowed. For venues with a maximum occupancy of 10,000, 15% will be allowed. “These outdoor limits are even more absurd since people are outside in fresh air. This unnecessarily low capacity limit is not fair to our students or our families,” Cook continued. “We, the People have proven time and time again that we can make attendance decisions at the local level. I have attended several Friday night football games in the 49th District, and at every single one people were being smart and safe all while enjoying the game.

“It’s no secret that kids need to be allowed to act like kids. They thrive on playing the sports that matter to them. They thrive even more when their loved ones are there to cheer them on. Parents deserve to watch their children do the things they love. We cannot let fear dominate us any longer. We all understand there is a virus out there, but we also understand how to stay safe.

“Gov. Wolf cannot possibly understand how the virus is affecting each district, but We, the People can. Here in the 49th District we are choosing to live our lives and we will not let them be dominated by our governor. Make no mistake – I will not stop fighting until Gov. Wolf stops acting like the almighty power,” concluded Cook.

Representative Bud Cook
49th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Michelle Swab
717.260.6325
mswab@pahousegop.com
RepBudCook.com / Facebook.com/RepBudCook