Pennsylvania governor warns liquor licenses could be taken away from restaurants that open up early in defiance of his stay-at-home order

• Politicians in Beaver, Dauphin, and Lebanon declared that their counties would begin returning to business as usual on May 15, despite being some of the worst-hit parts of Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• "It is time to reopen the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and return our state to the people (as prescribed by our Constitution) and not run it as a dictatorship," Dauphin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeff Haste wrote in a letter published May 8.
• Gov. Tom Wolf responded on Monday, threatening to withhold federal stimulus money from counties — and take away liquor licenses from restaurants — that open up in defiance of state law.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has had it up to here: counties that reopen for business, in defiance of his shut-down order, risk losing out on federal stimulus money, he's warning — and any restaurant that follows suit could lose their coveted liquor license.

Last week, local politicians in Beaver, Dauphin, and Lebanon declared that their counties would begin returning to business as usual on May 15 despite still being in the "red": the commonwealth's designation for the worst-hit parts of the state.

"It is time to reopen the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and return our state to the people (as prescribed by our Constitution) and not run it as a dictatorship," Dauphin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeff Haste wrote in a letter published May 8.

Officials in Beaver County — where the National Guard is deploying to contain the coronavirus outbreak, following at least 71 deaths at one nursing home — are likewise chafing at social-distancing requirements, declaring their residents akin to "prisoners."

On Monday, Gov. Wolf responded with his own analogy: this is "a war."

"The enemy is a deadly virus set on destroying us," he said in public remarks, noting the deaths of more than 4,000 Pennsylvanians. "Yet, over this past weekend, some have decided to surrender to this enemy. These are politicians who were elected to serve their fellow citizens. Others are business owners who have chosen to serve their customers by putting them in harm's way. These folks are choosing to desert in the face of the enemy."

There will be a price to pay for this "morally wrong" behavior, he promised.

"To those politicians who decide to cave in to this coronavirus, they need to understand the consequences of their cowardly act," Wolf said.

Specifically, the counties they represent won't receive some federal stimulus money — and the businesses that listen to them "will probably find themselves uninsured." Restaurants that offer dine-in service could also lose their liquor license and their certificate of occupancy.

While declaring himself unafraid to wield the stick, Wolf did offer one carrot: to employees of workplaces that open up in defiance of state law.

"Employees that fear for their safety because a business has opened illegally do not have to go to work," Wolf said. "Instead, they can stay at home, stay safe, and collect their unemployment benefits."

"This is not a time to give up," Wolf concluded. "This is not time to surrender. This is a time to rededicate ourselves to the task of beating this virus."

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