Fayette lawmaker introduces bill to increase capacity limits at venues
Alyssa Choiniere/For the Observer-Reporter
State Rep. Matt Dowling in a file photo from 2020
State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, speaks at a press conference Tuesday morning about the crippling effect of capacity limits on local restaurants and bars.
A Fayette County lawmaker announced legislation aimed at increasing capacity for indoor event venues during the coronavirus pandemic.
Under state COVID-19 guidelines, indoor events are limited to 25 people, regardless of their size. State Rep. Matt Dowling, R-Uniontown, was joined at a press conference Tuesday by local business owners and state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, who is asking Gov. Tom Wolf to increase restaurant capacity from 25% to 50%.
“It is my belief that venues, caterers and other businesses can adhere to social distancing standards per the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Dowling wrote in a letter to Wolf. “We are at the point where the limitations your administration has placed on us because of the pandemic feel worse than the threat of COVID-19. People need the opportunity to make their own choices, especially when venues can operate within CDC guidelines.”
Dowling noted that people attending events such as weddings are often grouped within their families or close circles, limiting spread of the coronavirus. Many venues could easily adhere to social distancing guidelines at 50% capacity, he said.
Kathleen Ward Hughes, owner of Jerry’s Catering in Republic, questioned inconsistencies in the mandates and the 25-person event limit.
“Have you ever heard of a wedding that has 25 people in Southwestern Pennsylvania? No, It isn’t worth the money, and I’m a caterer,” she said.
Wedding guest lists are down regardless of limits, she said. She emphasized she would never want an employee to get sick, calling them “family.”
“People are scared. They should be. But we are pros at keeping people safe,” she said. “We can do this. We can keep people safe. We know how. We’re all licensed, and we all know what to do, so give us guidelines so we can do our jobs, because Fayette County needs it.”
The orders have caused her to lose 70% of her business, she said.
“I hate hearing brides on the phone going, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ I don’t have an answer for them,” she said.
Bride-to-be Rachel Rosiek said she’s been planning a Sept. 5 wedding since December 2018. Three weeks before the date, with all the wedding expenses already paid, she received a call from her venue saying they were temporarily closing. She said they had already cut the guest list to 150 and made other changes. The venue has a 500-person capacity limit, she said.
“I never imagined having to have a backup plan for something I had been planning for so long,” she said. “What even are my options, since I am so close to that date now?”
Stefano said he would support Dowling’s legislation, and discussed the crippling effect of mandates on restaurants and bars.
“If they know how to serve their clients safely, let them get back to what they do best,” he said.
State Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis, submitted a statement saying that expecting businesses to survive within the regulations is “nothing short of ridiculous.”
State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, said in a letter to Wolf that it is important to target businesses that are not adhering to guidelines, but said “it is unfair, however, to crack down uniformly on all restaurants and taverns, in all areas of the state.”
She also noted some locals drive to West Virginia for dining, giving local businesses a competitive disadvantage.
State Rep. Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run Township, also wrote Wolf, inviting him to visit the district and “see firsthand how your policies are affecting everyday, hardworking people.”
“For business owners, this is more than their livelihoods – it is their lives,” Cook wrote. “Instead of coming alongside them and working with them to keep their doors open and keep food on their tables, you are imposing restriction after restriction on them, making them fear for their lives.”