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The Pennsylvania Senate joined the House of Representatives on Wednesday by passing a bill that would give school districts and private schools the ability to decide whether to have scholastic sports and extracurricular activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
				The Senate voted 39-11 in favor of the bill. The House passed the bill 155-47 last week. However, this doesn&rsquo;t mean that high school football games this weekend will be exempt from Gov. Tom Wolf&rsquo;s mandate that outdoor gatherings be limited to 250 people.
				The Associated Press reported that Wolf will veto the bill, although it has enough votes to override the veto.
				According to the Associated Press, Wolf&rsquo;s office said it was unnecessary since &ldquo;school districts already have local control on decisions on school sports&rdquo; and suggested that it was irresponsible because it would allow districts to green-light big crowds at sporting events that help spread the virus.
				&ldquo;This bill would allow for the potential gathering of thousands in close proximity, a widely-reported, well-known public health risk,&rdquo; Wolf&rsquo;s office said. &ldquo;We should focus on preventing the spread and creating a safe environment for children students back to learning and, if possible, in the classroom. Minimizing exposure to COVID-19 is paramount.&rdquo;
				On Aug. 6, Wolf made a statement at the end of the press conference that scholastic and youth amateur sports should be suspended until Jan. 1, 2021. He later said it was &ldquo;a strong recommendation&rdquo; and not a mandate or order. The bill would protect scholastic sports from Wolf mandating the halt of them.
				The bill also would allow school districts to determine whether spectators can attend based on their individual situations. The current 250 outdoor limit includes team members, coaches, band members, cheerleaders, game officials, media and game-day personnel needed at the event. Once those numbers are added up, it would leave little if any room for spectators at football games.
				The 25-person indoor limit will make it difficult for girls volleyball, which would quickly exceed that number with players, coaches, game officials and school personnel needed at the site.
				Wolf banned spectators until saying on Sept. 2 that they can attend but must be counted toward the 250 outdoor and 25 indoor limit.
				Republican Senator Jake Corman criticized the limits in a discussion prior to the vote as being &ldquo;one-size-fits-all&rdquo; and didn&rsquo;t take into account the size of athletic facilities.
				Locally, the only PIAA District 2 sports programs to cancel fall sports are MMI Prep and Carbondale Area. Abington Heights cancelled all fall sports except for cross country, golf and girls tennis.
				Wyoming Valley Conference golf and girls tennis have already started. Football begins Friday and the regular seasons in other sports start next week.

PA Senate joins House in passing sports bill; Wolf expected to veto it