A bill allowing real estate businesses to re-open in Pennsylvania passed the State House of Representatives.
The vote on House Bill 2412 was 125-77 and mostly split along party lines. The bill is likely to pass a Senate vote but could be vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Pennsylvania is 1 of 2 states that currently banned real estate transactions amid the Chinese virus pandemic response.
PA House Votes to Allow Real Estate Businesses to Re-Open Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Every Republican voting today said real estate businesses should be allowed to re-open amid the state’s coronavirus pandemic response. Another 16 Democrats also backed the bill.
Locally, Schuylkill County representatives Jerry Knowles (R-124) and Mike Tobash (R-125) backed the bill. Neal Goodman (D-123) voted against the bill.
Here’s a look at the roll call vote results:
This bill is just one example of House and Senate Republicans, mostly, who feel Governor Tom Wolf’s response to the pandemic, especially the decision to close tens of thousands of businesses, reaches too far.
With each measure they’ve taken to try to re-open some businesses in defiance of the Governor’s orders, they say these businesses can safely re-open and follow social distancing guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
House Bill 2412 – Vote to Re-open Real Estate in Pennsylvania
Closing real estate businesses has had some awful consequences, especially for one Lebanon County family whose home was destroyed by fire in mid-March.
Rep. Russ Diamond shared their story on the House floor today.
And remember, after you hear this, realize that Rep. Goodman heard this story, too. He still decided to toe the party line and vote against this bill.
Imagine if it were you in this Lebanon County family’s situation and you couldn’t find suitable housing because your local politicians didn’t think it was safe to complete real estate transactions. Sad.
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