Home About PMA Bulletin Alliance Members Legislative Issues Resources PMA Perspective Search form Search Wolf Says We Saved Lives, But Won’t Defend Us for the Risks We Took Submitted by Maura Donley on Fri, 10/01/2021 - 2:20pm On Manufacturing Day 2021, PMA remembers what Governor Wolf said last Manufacturing Day (Harrisburg, PA) October 1, 2021 – One year ago, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf thanked Pennsylvania manufacturers “that pivoted to produce critical medical equipment and PPE and sanitization products during the COVID-19 crisis. Lives have been saved because of you.” Yet Governor Wolf excluded those manufacturers from his executive order providing “good faith” protections against lawsuits. Worse, on multiple occasions the governor vetoed legislation that would have extended those good faith protections to manufacturers who retooled to fight the pandemic. https://twitter.com/governortomwolf/status/1311999370213183491?lang=en “When the pandemic struck in March 2020, Pennsylvania’s manufacturers responded selflessly to meet the moment,” said David N. Taylor, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association. “Even as our sector was being hobbled by his business shutdown orders, PMA answered Gov. Wolf’s request to help build the Call to Action Portal, providing critical data on industrial capacity that we and the National Association of Manufacturers had compiled. Manufacturers stuck their necks out to make products they had not made before or increased the rate of production beyond standard levels. “In response to what he calls our life-saving work, Governor Wolf offered no good faith protections for our manufacturing employers for the risks they took. The Governor did not include us in his executive order, which was completely at his discretion. On multiple occasions, Governor Wolf actually vetoed bipartisan legislation to extend those good faith ‘safe harbor’ protections to manufacturers that risked exposure to lawsuits by changing product lines to make PPE, medical equipment, and anti-bacterial cleaners and sanitizers,” Taylor said. “On Manufacturing Day 2021, Governor Wolf says: ‘supporting our manufacturers and connecting Pennsylvanians with these good-paying careers is one of my administration's top priorities.’ https://twitter.com/GovernorTomWolf/status/1443939204401086464 “Well,” Taylor noted, “he sure has a strange way of showing it.” -###- Founded in 1909 by Bucks County Industrialist Joseph Grundy, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association is the Harrisburg-based statewide nonprofit trade organization that represents the manufacturing sector in Pennsylvania’s public policy process. To learn more about the association and its work, visit www.pamanufacturers.org Advocacy Toolkit Help PMA fight for laws, policies and programs that will grow manufacturing. Advocacy Toolkit Home Page Find Your Lawmaker Send a Letter Voting Scorecard PMA Perspective See first hand how policies enacted in Harrisburg and Washington impact manufacturers and job creators. View all videos Election Reform A Conversation with Kevin Brobson A Conversation With Scott Perry A Discussion with Dean Cheng PMA Bulletin A premier in-depth analysis of current issues facing Pennsylvania businesses. Manufacturing tax credit pays off big for NEPA and PA’s natural gas industry Heed the warning from Sen. John Yudichak (I-Luzerne/Carbon): a few extremists threaten PA’s energy leadership State Rep. Craig Williams: Marine, prosecutor, lawmaker, energy expert Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association | (717) 232-0737 | 225 State Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 © Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association | Design & Development by Freshpage Media