Pennsylvania House virus notification dispute mirrors growing divide in state politics

The growing divide in the Pennsylvania Legislature loomed large this week with the news that a Republican House member’s coronavirus diagnosis was not shared with Democrats.

House Democrats say they were stunned to learn Wednesday that state Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin County, was diagnosed with covid-19 on May 20.

Political scientist G. Terry Madonna, a Franklin & Marshall College professor who has followed Harrisburg politics for more than three decades, said little about the rancorous exchanges that followed was surprising.

“The degree of polarization there has dramatically increased over the last decade or so,” Madonna said. “Covid-19 is just making it worse.”

On Facebook, Lewis announced he had been diagnosed with covid-19 and self-quarantined for 14 days, during which he suffered mild symptoms. He said he kept his diagnosis confidential to protect his family and others.

Mike Straub, a House Republican caucus spokesman, said the caucus was informed of Lewis’s test results immediately. He said it acted properly in maintaining his confidentiality. Those who may have been in contact with Lewis when he was last in the Capitol on May 14 were informed of their possible exposure and asked to self-quarantine, Straub said.

Democrats were livid they were not informed.

“We should have been told. (Republicans) said they had a plan in place that they followed. But it didn’t include notifying us,” House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, said Thursday.

State Rep. Brian Sims, D-Philadelphia, who sits on the House State Government Committee with Lewis, was less restrained.

In an 11-minute, profanity-studded tirade posted online, Sims accused Republican leaders of putting lives at risk by failing to notify Democrats of their possible exposure and allowing them to return home to be around family and friends.

He expressed outrage at Republican colleagues who questioned the need for the coronavirus shutdown and sponsored legislation to block Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders and who have shown up repeatedly without masks even as a fellow member self-quarantined.

“I never, ever, ever thought I would find myself in a place where partisanship became deadly,” Sims said.

Republicans conversely pointed to the need to keep health records confidential. They insisted their procedures followed state and federal laws and guidelines and ensured that the relevant people were informed of possible exposure.

Some Republicans weren’t aware of Lewis’ diagnosis until he made it public.

“This was not a conspiracy to block out Democrats. It was appropriate that they were not notified,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield.

Nelson said he knows of staffers and lawmakers who have self-quarantined because a family member was exposed and have since returned to the Capitol. But he was not aware of anyone other than Lewis who has tested positive for the virus.

The Hempfield lawmaker, who recently sponsored legislation to exempt churches from government shutdowns during disaster declarations, said he wears a mask in businesses but not in the Capitol.

State Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon County, has led a revolt against Wolf’s coronavirus restrictions and has likewise eschewed wearing a mask. On Wednesday, he revealed that he was among those who self quarantined after being advised about Lewis.

He boasted on social media that he feels fine, felt no need to be tested and dismissed Democrats as politicizing the issue with “Leftie whining.”

Others say it is a serious issue that merits attention.

“The failure of these Republican members and their leadership to follow basic safety protocols makes plain their disregard for those around them, but worse it reveals a total abdication of their responsibility to act as leaders during this confusing time,” said state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill. “The virus doesn’t care about someone’s ideology. The virus doesn’t care if you believe in it.”

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who has received several calls from lawmakers asking for a criminal investigation, said the issue does not rise to that level.

“It is critical that public officials lead by example and demonstrate common decency during this crisis by following public health guidelines and being transparent with their colleagues and the Department of Health,” he said. “Failure to act with this decency puts others at risk and extends the period of time we must fight this pandemic.”

The dispute reflects the divide among Pennsylvanians, Madonna said.

He noted that Democrats typically represent urban areas, where people have been affected by the pandemic and are hesitant to reopen too soon. Republicans often hail from rural areas that haven’t been as affected by the virus and want to reopen now.

“You can’t rule politics out of any of this,” Madonna said. “They are literally representing their constituents. They’re not acting in a way that is out of line with their constituents.”

Chris Borick, a pollster and political scientist at Muhlenberg College, has been following Pennsylvania politics for 20 years. Rarely has he seen anything quite like this week’s raging dispute. He said Harrisburg has become the ground zero in a divided state as Pennsylvanians struggle with the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus.

“You’ve seen a lot of this blow up in the Legislature where emotions have been raw and you’ve seen some of the most vitriolic responses. People are paying attention to this because it’s directly impactful to their lives. The policies have impact and the issues are salient to Pennsylvania voters,” he said.

Back in Harrisburg, Straub said the Republican Caucus’s experience handling Lewis’s report supports its approach.

“The 14-day isolation period for those exposed ends (Thursday), so we are pleased with how the guidelines and protocols worked,” he said.