The Pennsylvania Constitution Cannot Be Circumvented Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Department of Health (DOH) is creating regulations that would expand its authority to wield the same power Gov. Tom Wolf did in 2020-21. These regulations threaten to give the governor sweeping emergency power Pennsylvania voters acted to limit in 2021. If the governor can simply move that power into the DOH and exercise it through regulation, then the constitutional protection adopted by the people means little. Pennsylvanians remember why they changed their constitution. In 2020, Gov. Wolf used extraordinary emergency powers to control the commonwealth. Department of Health Sec. Levine drove the administration’s public-health response, while Shapiro backed Wolf and Levine’s policies as Pennsylvania’s attorney general. Today, Shapiro is governor, and his DOH is seeking expanded regulatory authority. We cannot separate what is happening now from what Pennsylvanians experienced then. Pennsylvanians remember this because we lived it. Government shut down schools and sent children home. Students lost proms, graduations, sports seasons and milestones they never got back. Parents struggled to work while their children sat at kitchen tables staring into computer screens instead of sitting in classrooms. Government decided which businesses were essential and which were non-essential, then ordered those it deemed non-essential to close. Men and women who had spent decades building a family business, supporting their families and employing their neighbors suddenly had government tell them their livelihood was “non-essential.” Revenue stopped, but mortgages, rent, utilities, insurance and bills did not. Employees lost paychecks and jobs. Independent business owners watched everything they had spent their lives building hang in the balance. Truckers tried to keep Pennsylvania moving, but closures and restrictions made it hard for them to find food, restrooms, places to rest and safe places to park. Churches faced pressure to cancel worship. Pennsylvanians endured battles over mask and vaccination mandates, and personal medical decisions that raised fundamental questions about bodily autonomy, religious liberty and how far government should be allowed to reach into our lives. Perhaps nothing was more painful than what happened to our elderly and vulnerable. Families were separated from parents and grandparents in nursing homes and long-term-care facilities. Husbands and wives were separated. Children stood outside windows trying to see their parents. Some Pennsylvanians died without their families beside them, while sons and daughters were denied the chance to hold a parent's hand, pray at the bedside or say goodbye. COVID-19 also devastated Pennsylvania’s veterans’ homes. Veterans who had sacrificed for our nation became sick and died while serious questions mounted about management and oversight. These were not statistics on a government spreadsheet. They were our mothers and fathers, grandparents, veterans, children, workers, neighbors and small-business owners. Government decisions reached directly into our classrooms, churches, nursing homes, businesses and homes. Then the people got their say. In 2021, Pennsylvania voters changed our constitution to limit a governor’s disaster emergency declaration to 21 days unless the General Assembly acts to extend it. Three weeks. After that, the people’s elected representatives have a constitutional role. That was not a recommendation. It was not an opinion poll. It was not a request that future governors could choose to honor or ignore. The people amended their constitution. That is the law. That brings us directly back to Gov. Shapiro and the DOH. If DOH can invoke broad disease-control authority and issue sweeping orders beyond three weeks without the General Assembly, then we face an obvious question: Has the governor found a way to ignore the voice of the people? Gov. Shapiro cannot play a shell game with the constitution. Moving authority from the governor’s desk to the DOH does not make the constitution disappear. Calling government action a “regulation,” or “control measure” rather than an “emergency declaration” does not change what that power actually does or how it affects the people subjected to it. The DOH is not a fourth branch of government. It is an executive agency. Its authority comes from law, and it is bound by the Pennsylvania Constitution. An administrative agency cannot use regulations to rewrite the constitution, give itself authority the legislature never granted or provide the governor with a back door around constitutional restrictions on executive power. Shapiro knows this history firsthand. He served as attorney general throughout the Wolf administration’s COVID-19 response and backed Wolf and Levine’s policies. Now he sits in the governor’s office, and his DOH seeks expanded regulatory authority. His administration should answer some very simple questions: Where does this power come from? What limits it? How long can it last? Where is the General Assembly? And how does it respect the constitutional change the people demanded in 2021? I did not watch the fight over emergency powers from the sidelines. I was a leader in that fight, and I remember the Pennsylvanians who reached out to us. I remember business owners who were shut down, workers who lost their paychecks, parents whose children could not go to school and families who could not visit their parents and grandparents. I remember their anger, frustration, fear and heartbreak. For those Pennsylvanians, changing the constitution was not an academic legal exercise or a political argument inside the State Capitol. It came directly from what they had lived through. This is bigger than Wolf, Shapiro or any political party. The same constitutional limits must bind a Republican governor and a Democratic governor. We do not limit governmental power because we distrust one politician. We limit governmental power because no governor and no administration should stand above the constitution. Pennsylvanians remember the closed businesses and lost jobs. They remember empty classrooms, canceled proms, graduations and lost sports seasons. They remember parents and grandparents behind nursing-home windows. They remember our veterans homes. They remember churches struggling to gather, truckers struggling to find places to stop and workers confronting government mandates involving their livelihoods and their own bodies. The people remember because they lived it. And then the people voted. We the people by a majority vote changed our constitution because they had seen what prolonged unilateral emergency power could do. They demanded a check on that power and placed that check in the fundamental law of this commonwealth. Government does not get to erase their decision because it finds the people’s answer inconvenient. The Pennsylvania Constitution is not a bureaucratic obstacle for Shapiro — or any governor — to maneuver around. It is the fundamental law of this commonwealth. The governor is bound by it. His DOH is bound by it. Every executive agency is bound by it. The people lived through the emergency. They saw their schools closed, their businesses shuttered, their livelihoods threatened, their loved ones isolated and their freedoms restricted. They demanded a change. They voted. They changed their constitution. Gov. Shapiro does not get to push the people’s voices aside by using an executive agency to recreate the prolonged emergency authority they acted to limit. The people changed the law. Their government must obey it.

October 25 Verse - Philippians 4:19

It was a profound honor to offer a prayer during the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial Dedication Ceremony in Washington, DC. 🇺🇸 A humbling moment to honor the brave men and women who served, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and recognize the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of all who answered the call to serve our nation. May their legacy never be forgotten, and may we always honor their service and sacrifice. “I remembered the wind, the storm, the bullets that somehow did not find me, and that, by Your mercy, not one of the five hundred men in my unit was lost.”

I couldn’t be more proud of my staff and all that they do for me and our team! ❤️ We are blessed to have such a fantastic and outstanding group of individuals whose hard work, dedication, and teamwork never go unnoticed. Rebbie and I are truly thankful for each and every one of you. Your efforts mean so much to us, and we appreciate you more than words can express. Thank you for all that you do!

Jesus was Jewish. His mother was Jewish. His disciples were Jewish. The roots of Christianity are deeply intertwined with the history of the Jewish people. As antisemitism continues to rear its ugly head, we must never forget the lessons of history. That's why I introduced Senate Bill 127, requiring Holocaust education in Pennsylvania schools. Remember our roots. Teach our history. Reject antisemitism. Learn more: palegis.us/legislation/bills…

October 23, 1944 - The Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history, took place off the Philippine Islands, during World War II in the Pacific. The battle involved 216 U.S. warships and 64 Japanese ships and resulted in the destruction of the Japanese Navy including the Japanese Battleship Musashi, one of the largest ever built.

October 23, 1983 – Beirut Bombing Remembrance 241 US service personnel including 220 Marines and 21 other service personnel are killed by a truck bomb at a Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon. Three hundred service members had been living at the four-story building at the airport in Beirut. There were 1,800 Marines stationed in Beirut at the time. A multi-national force with units from France, Italy and the United Kingdom was also on peacekeeping duty in Lebanon at the same time. At the same time the Marine barracks was hit, a suicide bomber drove a pickup truck full of explosives and crashed into a building housing French paratroopers. Approximately 58 French soldiers were killed in the attack. Please help me honor those who selflessly sacrificed their lives on that day

WOW! WHAT A WEEK! FROM A VISION TO A VICTORY — THE BEAGLE BILL IS OFFICIALLY LAW! What began five years ago as a mission to protect innocent animals has now become a lasting part of Pennsylvania law! Senate Bill 381 is officially Act 92 of 2026! This new law strengthens protections for dogs and cats used in research and helps give these animals a second chance at life in loving homes. I can't say this enough - I am truly grateful to Senator Carolyn Comitta for her bipartisan partnership throughout this journey, and to the outstanding advocates who helped bring this legislation across the finish line: Kristen Tullo, Anita Archambeau, Heidi Prescott, and the Adams County SPCA in Gettysburg. And, of course, our four-legged ambassador, Phoebe the Beagle! To the many others whose dedication and compassion made this possible, your efforts will make a difference for years to come. Unanimous support. Lasting protections. A brighter future for these animals. Act 92 of 2026 - a legacy of compassion!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Throwback to Veterans Day 2017! One of those special days that Rebbie and I will always treasure. I had the privilege of delivering the Veterans Day keynote address at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Tennessee. Here we are with our dear friend, Colonel Gerald York (U.S. Army, Ret.), grandson of the legendary Sergeant Alvin C. York. Having spent years researching and writing about Alvin York, it was especially meaningful to stand on the ground he called home, honor his remarkable legacy, and share the occasion with his family. Great memories, wonderful friends, and a special reminder of the generations of Americans who have answered the call to serve. God bless our Veterans! #THROWBACKTHURSDAY

I had the pleasure of giving these wonderful families a tour of the Senate Chamber, sharing some of its history and offering a firsthand look at where the legislative process takes place. It was especially encouraging to see so many bright, curious young people taking an interest in our government, our history, and the freedoms we cherish. A special thank-you to all the homeschool parents for your dedication to educating the next generation and for making the trip to Harrisburg! It was an honor to spend time with you all! God bless you and your families!

Celebrating William Penn Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol! It was a tremendous honor to host William Penn Day at the Capitol, celebrating the extraordinary legacy of Pennsylvania's founder and the principles of faith, freedom, and religious liberty upon which our Commonwealth was established! I was especially proud to have my beautiful wife, Rebbie, speak at this special event, alongside Dr. Richard Brink, Jon Faus, and Representative Stephanie Borowicz. William Penn's vision of a Commonwealth founded on religious freedom, justice, and respect for individual liberty continues to inspire us more than 300 years later. A special thank-you to the wonderful homeschool families who traveled from all across Pennsylvania to join us! It was especially encouraging to see so many young people learning about our Commonwealth's remarkable history and the principles upon which it was founded. Thank you to everyone who joined us to honor this important chapter of Pennsylvania's history. May we never forget the faith and courage that helped shape our great Commonwealth! God bless Pennsylvania!

Thank you to Mallory and ABC27 News for having me on to discuss this incredible bipartisan victory and what it means for our beloved beagles! A huge win for the beagles and everyone who fought for them! 🐾

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DAY FOR THE BEAGLES! It was wonderful celebrating this historic milestone today with Kristen Tullo, Anita Archambeau, Heidi Prescott, and of course, sweet Phoebe the Beagle! These amazing advocates have worked tirelessly to make the Beagle Bill a reality. Their dedication, compassion, and perseverance helped make this long-awaited victory possible! A special thank-you to Mallory from ABC27 News for taking the time to interview me and help share the exciting news of the Beagle Bill's success! Five years of hard work, and today we celebrated a victory for the beagles! Thank you all for never giving up!

Pawsitively excited about this victory!!!! "Dogs have owners and cats have staff" 🐾

WE FINALLY MADE IT HAPPEN! THE BEAGLE BILL HAS PASSED! 🎉 After five years of hard work, determination, and perseverance, the Pennsylvania Beagle Bill (SB 381) has passed with overwhelming bipartisan support! 🐾 PA House: 203–0 🐾 PA Senate: 50–0 This is a tremendous victory for our beloved beagles, giving dogs used in research a chance at loving forever homes! WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT SO MANY OF YOU! A special thank-you to my Democratic colleague and partner, Senator Carolyn Comitta, for working alongside me to champion this legislation. This is bipartisan cooperation at its finest! I also want to recognize our extraordinary advocates — Kristen Tullo, Abby Avery, Heidi Prescott, and the Adams County SPCA in Gettysburg — for their tireless dedication and compassion. And of course sweet Phoebe the Beagle! She is a very important part of this! To the countless advocates, rescue organizations, legislative staff, volunteers, and Pennsylvanians who worked behind the scenes and never gave up — THANK YOU! This victory belongs to all of you! This was never about Republicans or Democrats. It was about doing what is right for these innocent animals. Five years. One incredible victory. THE BEAGLES WON! 🐶❤️

William Penn Day xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1qJVmyqjv…

October 20, 1944 - During World War II in the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur set foot on Philippine soil for the first time since his escape in 1942, fulfilling his promise, "I shall return."