In a memo sent to Gov. Tom Wolf, the state’s Republicans urge the use of the $372 million pandemic response discretionary account to assist restaurants and small businesses still struggling from the effects of the COVID-19 economic shutdown.
The funds were part of the fiscal year 2021-22 state budget. The governor is not prohibited, in the absence of legislation, from using the funds to create assistance programs.
The lawmakers urge Wolf to create two competitive grant programs to help struggling small businesses and create a fund dedicated to increasing vaccine awareness and deployment.
A total of $20 million would be used to create a Vaccination Awareness Fund, $150 million would create a Pennsylvania Small Employer Pandemic Relief Fund, and $150 million would create a Small Restaurant Pandemic Relief Fund, according to the memo.
The remaining funds would be available for the governor to provide pandemic relief on an as-needed basis.
State Reps. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) and Todd Polinchock (R-Bucks)
co-sponsored the memo.
“The top 5 percent of federal restaurant relief fund awardees received 40 percent of the money, and only one-third of Pennsylvania restaurants that applied got any,” Ortitay said. “That’s horrendous. The recent state budget provided the Wolf administration the resources needed to help struggling employers, and the governor should make increased funding available.”