Pennsylvania Coalition for Informed Consent > Blog > Past Action Alerts > Immediate Action to Stop SB633

Mar 15, 2020

Immediate Action to Stop SB633

3/20/2020 UPDATE – The March 16 House Health Committee meeting was cancelled.  There is still time to take these actions before they reschedule!

ALL HANDS ON DECK TO TAKE ACTION TODAY – PLEASE READ TO THE END

Your IMMEDIATE action is needed to prevent SB633, the Public Health Emergency Act sponsored by Senator Jay Costa (D), from going forward.  With the nation’s attention focused on COVID-19, there is renewed effort to pass this emergency legislation, which IS NOW ON THE HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA FOR TOMORROW, MONDAY, MARCH 16, at 11:30am.
Governor Wolf made an emergency declaration without the passage of SB633. He has subsequently closed schools and prevented ordinary citizens from entering the capitol, yet he wants even more authority to be handed over to the state.  Any legislation that passes would increase state powers that have been restricted by all previous Commonwealth legislators. These new state powers would not expire when the current coronavirus issue abates, so caution is essential.
As written, SB633 enables the state to take undefined and unprecedented measures, “…AS NECESSARY TO PREVENT AND CONTROL THE SPREAD OF DISEASE OR CONDITION.”  For a further discussion of how the bill’s sweeping language is problematic, please see our UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet.
Because any bill can be amended, we are asking ALL PA legislators to recognize the dangers of SB633 and ensure that if ANY legislation goes forward, it MUST protect civil liberties while balancing public health concerns.Since Governor Wolf’s Emergency Declaration prohibits the public from showing up in person to express our opposition to this legislation, we MUST leverage other effective methods to make our concerns known.  Read on for instructions for how to utilize fax, email, and twitter to influence your legislators.   When communicating with legislators, ALWAYS be calm, courteous, and credible.
ACTION NEEDED:
  1. Contact your own Representative and Senator – asking them to OPPOSE SB633. Find your PA state legislators HERE.  FAX or email them a copy of the UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet.  (Free, online FAX instructions below!)  Your legislator may also appreciate receiving a link or copy of the Connecticut Emergency Response Act which reasonably balances the public health concerns while restraining government overreach.
  2. Email or FAX Representative Bryan Cutler,he Majority Leader of the House, a copy of the UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet with a personal note asserting the need to protect the civil liberties of Pennsylvanians. BCutler@pahousegop.com Fax: (717) 772-9859.
  3. Email or FAX Representative Mike Turzai, Speaker of the House, a copy of the UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet with a personal note asserting the need to protect the civil liberties of Pennsylvanians. mturzai@pahousegop.com, Fax: (717) 772-2470.
  4. Email members of the House Health Committee and ask that they OPPOSE SB633 as it grants the state unprecedented and sweeping powers if a state public health emergency is declared and it fails to preserve of the civil rights of individuals..  Send them a copy of the UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet and also include a link to the Connecticut law as an example of a comprehensive Emergency Response Act that balances public health threats without compromising civil liberty protections.
(A complete list with names and emails can be found at the bottom of the page).  To email multiple house members, use the consolidated list of names below. For best results, limit the number of names in each message.
klrapp@pahousegop.com, abernstine@pahousegop.com, sborowicz@pahousegop.com, jcox@pahousegop.com, vgaydos@pahousegop.com, mhahn@pahousegop.com, jhershey@pahousegop.com, AKaufer@pahousegop.com, dkeefer@pahousegop.com, kklunk@pahousegop.com, jknowles@pahousegop.com, cowlett@pahousegop.com, broae@pahousegop.com, pschemel@pahousegop.com, dzimmerman@pahousegop.com, dfrankel@pahouse.net, RepDelissio@pahouse.net, efiedler@pahouse.net, egainey@pahouse.net, sinnamorato@pahouse.net, skinsey@pahouse.net, mschlossberg@pahouse.net, wullman@pahouse.net
Mary Jo Daley, http://www.pahouse.com/MDaley/
Jason Dawkins, http://www.pahouse.com/Dawkins/

TWEET WITH US! @ConsentPA  – Not every Health Committee member has a Twitter account, but many do!  See the list below – and look for your own Rep and Senator on Twitter too! Suggested tweet: #WeThePeople of PA Call on @PAHouseGOP and @PAHouseDems to honor the #Constitution and the #NuremburgCode by OPPOSING the passage of SB633 without THOROUGH added protections for #CivilLiberty.

@PAHouseGOP
@PASenateGOP
@PAGOP
@RepTurzai
@RepBryanCutler
@RepGaydos
@JohnDHershey
@PaulSchemel
@RepUllman@RepKinsy
@RepGainey
@RepDawkins
@RepInnamorato
@AaronBernstine
@RepKateKlunk
@RepDeLissio
@RepMJDaley
@RepFiedler

 

  1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR FREE ONLINE FAXING: We recommend https://www.gotfreefax.com/.It is fee to send send 2 faxes per day, up to 3 pages per fax.  And it is extremely easy to use!
    Here’s what you will need to do:
    1. Download UPDATED SB633 Info Sheet which lists the problems with SB633 and suggested solutions.
    2. Find your PA representative and senator’s fax number.  Look up your legislators HERE and write down those fax numbers.
    3. Go to  https://www.gotfreefax.com/ and fill out the sender and recipient information.
    4. In the box entitled “Fax Content”, you can include a personal note that will appear on the cover sheet.
    SAMPLE PERSONAL NOTE:
    “Dear (Insert Representative or Senator and name),
    Please do NOT pass SB633, the Public Health Emergency Act as it ushers in unprecedented state control over civil rights if an emergency declaration is made.  Please ensure that ALL Pennsylvania legislation protects the rights of citizens and offers alternatives to forced quarantines or vaccination. Thank you,
    Mrs. Jane Smith of Canyonville, PA.
    1. Click on the button for “Choose File”, and select the file that you just downloaded from the above links.
    2. Check that your attachments and other info are correct, then click on “Send FREE Fax Now!”
    3. You will be prompted to check your email and confirm that you do want the fax sent.  It does not send until you click the link in the confirmation email, so please be sure to follow through on that step.

    FYI, we have no affiliation with this fax service.  We simply found it to be useful and easy, and the price is right!  If you already have a favorite fax app or traditional machine, those will work just as well!

    House Health Committee Link 
    House Health Committee Email List
    Kathy Rapp, Chair klrapp@pahousegop.com
    Aaron Bernstine, abernstine@pahousegop.com
    Stephanie Borowicz, sborowicz@pahousegop.com
    Jim Cox, jcox@pahousegop.com
    Valerie S. Gaydos, vgaydos@pahousegop.com
    Marcia M. Hahn, @pahousegop.com
    Johnathan D. Hershey, jhershey@pahousegop.com
    Aaron D. Kaufer, AKaufer@pahousegop.com
    Dawn W. Keefer, dkeefer@pahousegop.com
    Kate A. Klunk, kklunk@pahousegop.com
    Jerry Knowles, jknowles@pahousegop.com
    Clint Owlett, cowlett@pahousegop.com
    Brad Roae, broae@pahousegop.com
    Paul Schemel, pschemel@pahousegop.com
    David H. Zimmerman, dzimmerman@pahousegop.com
    Dan Frankel, dfrankel@pahouse.net
    Mary Jo Daley, http://www.pahouse.com/MDaley/
    Jason Dawkins, http://www.pahouse.com/Dawkins/
    Pamela A.DeLissio, Repdelissio@pahouse.net
    Elizabeth Fiedler, efiedler@pahouse.ne
    Ed Gainey, egainey@pahouse.net
    Sara Innamorato, sinnamorato@pahouse.net
    Stephen Kinsey, skinsey@pahouse.net
    Michael H.Schlossberg, mschlossberg@pahouse.net
    Wendy Ullman, wullman@pahouse.net