Received 6/10/2020 1:36:45 PM Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

:
SENATOR JOSEPH B. SCARNATI, III, :
SENATOR JAKE CORMAN, and SENATE :
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS, :
: No. ___MD 2020
Petitioners, :
v. :
:
THE HONORABLE TOM WOLF, GOVERNOR :
OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF :
PENNSYLVANIA, :
:
Respondent. :
:

NOTICE TO PLEAD

TO: THE HONORABLE TOM WOLF, GOVERNOR OF THE

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

You are hereby notified to file a written response to the enclosed

petition for review within thirty (30) days from service hereof or a
judgment may be entered against you.

Dated: June 10, 2010 /s/ Matthew H. Haverstick

Matthew H. Haverstick (No. 85072)
KLEINBARD LLC
Three Logan Square
1717 Arch Street, 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Ph: (215) 568-2000
Fax: (215) 568-0140
Eml: [email protected]

Attorney for Petitioners

 IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

:
SENATOR JOSEPH B. SCARNATI, III, :
SENATOR JAKE CORMAN, and SENATE :
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS, :
: No. ___MD 2020
Petitioners, :
v. :
:
THE HONORABLE TOM WOLF, GOVERNOR :
OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF :
PENNSYLVANIA, :
:
Respondent. :
:

PETITION FOR REVIEW

IN THE NATURE OF A COMPLAINT IN MANDAMUS

Pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1501 and 1513, Petitioners Senator Joseph

B. Scarnati, III, Senator Jake Corman, and the Senate Republican

Caucus (collectively, “the Senators”) do hereby bring this petition for

review in the nature of a complaint in mandamus against Respondent

Governor Tom Wolf, and in support thereof, aver as follows:

I. JURISDICTION

1. This petition for review is an action against an officer of the

Commonwealth acting in his official capacity, and it is also an action by

Commonwealth officers acting in their official capacities; accordingly,

this Court has original jurisdiction under 42 Pa.C.S. § 761(a)(1) & (2).
II. PARTY SEEKING RELIEF

2. Petitioner Senator Joseph B. Scarnati, III is the duly elected

Pennsylvania Senator representing Senate District 25, which covers

Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, and Tioga

Counties. Senator Scarnati is the Senate President Pro Tempore.

3. Petitioner Senator Jake Corman is the duly elected

Pennsylvania Senator representing Senate District 34, which covers

Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, and Mifflin Counties. Senator Corman is

the Senate Majority Leader.

4. Petitioner Senate Republican Caucus is one of two subparts

of the Pennsylvania Senate and is an integral constituent of the Senate.

See Precision Mktg., Inc. v. Com., Republican Caucus of the Sen. of

PA/AKA Sen. of PA Republican Caucus, 78 A.3d 667, 675 (Pa. Cmwlth.

2013). All members of the Senate Republican Caucus voted to adopt

HR 836.

5. The Senators, in their official capacities as Senators under

Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, have been injured by

Governor Wolf’s refusal to act, as further described herein, as follows:

a. The Senators’ votes on HR 836 have been effectively

nullified, and vetoed without authority and without further

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 recourse, by Governor Wolf’s failure to fulfill his mandatory
and ministerial duty under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c);

b. The Senators’ shared authority under Article I, Section 12 of

the Pennsylvania Constitution to control suspending laws
has been diminished and eliminated by Governor Wolf’s
failure to fulfill his mandatory and ministerial duty under
35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c); and

c. Governor Wolf’s refusal to act is based on his demand that

the General Assembly present HR 836 to him under Article
III, Section 9, accordingly, Governor Wolf is demanding that
the Senators and the rest of the General Assembly
affirmatively perform a legislative act that is not required
under the Pennsylvania Constitution.

III. GOVERNMENT UNIT WHOSE INACTION IS IN ISSUE

6. Respondent Governor Tom Wolf is the duly elected Governor

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

7. Despite a majority of the Senate and the House of

Representatives adopting HR 836, Governor Wolf has refused to

perform the mandatory and ministerial duty of issuing an executive

order or proclamation ending the state of disaster emergency originally

declared March 6, 2020 and amended and renewed on June 3, 2020.

IV. GENERAL STATEMENT OF MATERIAL FACTS

8. On March 6, 2020, Governor Wolf issued a Proclamation of

Disaster Emergency declaring the existence of a disaster emergency

throughout the Commonwealth under Section 7301(c) of the Emergency

3
Management Services Code, 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c). The March 6, 2020

Proclamation is attached as Exhibit A (hereafter, “the March 6

Proclamation”).

9. Under the March 6 Proclamation, the stated “imminent

disaster” proclaimed by Governor Wolf was the “threat from COVID-

19.”

10. On June 3, 2020, Governor Wolf issued a Proclamation of

Disaster Emergency amending and renewing the state of disaster

emergency related to COVID-19 declared in the March 6 Proclamation.

A copy of the June 3, 2020 Proclamation is attached as Exhibit B.

11. Section 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services

Code provides that the General Assembly “by concurrent resolution may

terminate a state disaster emergency at any time.”

12. The Supreme Court has described this provision “[a]s a

counterbalance to the exercise of the broad powers granted to the

Governor,” and has re-stated, plainly, what the provision means on its

face: “the General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a

state of disaster emergency at any time.” Friends of Danny DeVito v.

Wolf, 68 MM 2020, 2020 WL 1847100, at *9 (Pa. Apr. 13, 2020).

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 13. A majority of the Senate, including the Senators, adopted a

Concurrent Resolution, numbered HR 836 (PN 3910), on June 9, 2020.

14. A majority of the House adopted HR 836 (PN 3910) on June

9, 2020. A copy of HR 836, as adopted by the House and the Senate, is

attached as Exhibit C.

15. HR 836 provides, in relevant part, as follows: “the General

Assembly, in accordance with 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) and its Article I,

Section 12 power to suspend laws, hereby terminate the disaster

emergency declared on March 6, 2020, as amended and renewed, in

response to COVID-19[.]”

16. The Chief Clerk of the House was directed under HR 836 to

take various steps to officially disseminate it after its adoption,

including by:

a. transmitting a copy of the Concurrent Resolution to the

Secretary of the Commonwealth as an official action of the
General Assembly under the authority provided under 35
Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) to terminate a state of emergency;

b. transmitting a copy of the Concurrent Resolution to the

Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency;

c. transmitting the Concurrent Resolution to the Legislative

Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania
Bulletin under 45 Pa.C.S. § 725(a)(4); and

5
 d. causing to be published a summary of the Concurrent
Resolution in newspapers of general circulation in the
Commonwealth.

17. Upon the adoption of HR 836, the Secretary of the Senate

was instructed to notify Governor Wolf of the General Assembly’s

adoption of HR 836 with the directive that Governor Wolf issue an

executive order or proclamation ending the state of disaster emergency

in accordance with the Resolution and 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c).

18. Despite HR 836, Governor Wolf has refused to meet his

mandatory and ministerial duty to issue an executive order or

proclamation ending the COVID-19 state of disaster emergency.

19. Instead, Governor Wolf has demanded that HR 836 be

presented to him under Article III, Section 9 of the Pennsylvania

Constitution.

20. Section 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services

Code provides that if the General Assembly terminates a state of

disaster emergency by concurrent resolution, then the Governor must

immediately act, without discretion, to formally end his prior

proclamation, stating as follows: “Thereupon, the Governor shall issue

6
an executive order or proclamation ending the state of disaster

emergency.”

21. Section 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services

Code does not state that the concurrent resolution must then be

presented to the Governor for his review and approval: on the face of

statute, the concurrent resolution is immediately effective and requires

the Governor to immediately act “[t]hereupon” its adoption.

22. A reading of Section 7301(c) requiring the Governor to

review and approve a concurrent resolution would render the “at any

time language” meaningless and superfluous, because, in fact, the

General Assembly could not end a state of disaster emergency at all, let

alone at the time of its choosing.

23. Article III, Section 9 does not apply to HR 836, which is a

resolution under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c), because it is not an exercise of

lawmaking under Article III, and is an exercise of the General

Assembly’s exclusive power to suspend laws under Article I, Section 12.

24. Accordingly, HR 836 is effective and does not need to be

presented to Governor Wolf under either 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) or under

Article III, Section 9 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

7
 25. HR 836 has triggered an immediate, mandatory duty for

Governor Wolf to act.

V. STATEMENT OF RELIEF SOUGHT

COUNT I: MANDAMUS

26. The foregoing Paragraphs are incorporated by reference as if

set forth in full herein.

27. Governor Wolf has a mandatory duty under 35 Pa.C.S.

§ 7301(c) to issue an executive order or proclamation ending the

COVID-19 state of disaster emergency.

28. Governor Wolf has failed and refused to perform his

mandatory duty to act upon HR 836 by issuing an executive order or

proclamation ending the COVID-19 state of disaster emergency.

29. Governor Wolf’s failure to issue an executive order or

proclamation ending the COVID-19 state of disaster emergency is

unlawful, unreasonable, and without just cause.

30. Governor Wolf has no discretion to refuse to issue an

executive order or proclamation ending the COVID-19 state of disaster

emergency.

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 31. The Senators have no adequate remedy at law to compel

Respondent to perform his mandatory duty.

WHEREFORE, the Senators pray the Court:

(1) Enter judgment against Governor Wolf commanding him to

issue an executive order or proclamation ending the state of disaster

emergency related to COVID-19; and

(2) Grant such further relief as may be just under the

circumstances.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: June 10, 2020 /s/ Matthew H. Haverstick

Matthew H. Haverstick (No. 85072)
Mark E. Seiberling (No. 91256)
Joshua J. Voss (No. 306853)
Shohin Vance (No. 323551)
KLEINBARD LLC
Three Logan Square
1717 Arch Street, 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Ph: (215) 568-2000
Fax: (215) 568-0140
Eml: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Attorneys for Petitioners

9
 VERIFICATION

I hereby verify that the statements made in the foregoing Petition

for Review are true and corrected based upon my personal knowledge or

information and belief. I understand that false statements therein are

subject to penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, relating to unsworn

falsification to authorities.

Dated: June 10, 2020 /s/ Joseph B. Scarnati III

Senator Joseph B. Scarnati, III
 VERIFICATION

I hereby verify that the statements made in the foregoing Petition

for Review are true and corrected based upon my personal knowledge or

information and belief. I understand that false statements therein are

subject to penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, relating to unsworn

falsification to authorities.

Dated: June 10, 2020 /s/ Jake Corman

Senator Jake Corman, on behalf
of himself and the Senate
Republican Caucus
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C