News & Brews March 31, 2021
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Wolf backs vaccine passports
Well, that didn’t take long. On February 23, Gov. Wolf said in a press conference, “Ultimately, vaccination is a personal health decision.” (Time stamp 3:13 in this video.) Yesterday, he apparently changed his mind (literally within a matter of seconds). Asked whether he would support so-called “vaccine passports,” he said he didn’t have a position on it…then about 24 seconds later, he said yes, he would support them. (See question beginning at 16:10 here.) Just wondering: Would the same people who want folks to show vaccine IDs to travel also back requiring vaccine IDs to vote? Hmmm.
Wolf admin, Dem lawmakers push for minimum wage hike
Yesterday, Acting Secretary of Labor & Industry Jennifer Berrier joined Democrat Sen. Jay Costa (Allegheny County) and Democrat Socialist Rep. Sara Innamorato (Allegheny County) to call for an increase in the government-mandated minimum wage to $15 per hour. You’ll recall a few weeks ago Berrier testified before lawmakers that she didn’t know why the state lost 500,000 jobs last year. If she’s unclear on the connection between Gov. Wolf shutting down businesses and job losses, perhaps she’s also unclear on the connection between a mandated minimum wage hike and job losses. Remember, no job = no wage, and the real minimum wage is always zero.
WSJ Editorial: School choice advancing in the states
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board looked at (paywall) how union control in keeping many schools closed throughout this past year is spurring a new wave of school choice expansion in states across the country. The piece notes, “Nearly 50 school-choice bills have been introduced this year in 30 states. It’s a testament to how school shutdowns have made the advantage of education choice more evident, and its need more urgent.”
3-feet is the new 6-feet* (*depending on age and location)
The Wolf administration has updated its distancing guidance for school settings, changing the required 6 feet of distancing to 3 feet. But the revision, based on CDC revisions, applies only to younger students and certain older students (for older students, it’s only in counties with lower community COVID transmission). Also, the new guidance goes into effect April 5, so until then, 3 feet of distancing apparently isn’t ok. If you’re confused, just remember, everything is science.