Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper is warning Keystone State voters that Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is seeking reelection this year and eying a White House run in November, is pushing for government regulations that would allow state officials sweeping COVID-restriction-like powers. This includes giving them the ability to enter your home without a warrant or obtain your private health information without your consent.
BREAKING: Governor Shapiro's Department of Health just submitted proposed regulations that would allow government officials to enter private residences without warrants and also seek private health information without consent.
— PA House Republicans 🇺🇸 (@PAHouseGOP) August 26, 2026
READ Leader Topper's response HERE:… pic.twitter.com/jnfrxWxwDy
Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) today called on the Shapiro administration to withdraw proposed regulations reminiscent of COVID lockdown-era government policy that would infringe upon constitutional norms and civil liberties.
“Oppressive COVID-era policies were viewed with skepticism by Pennsylvanians of every demographic. Submitting these regulations seems to be devoid of any understanding of our recent history of dangerous government overreach and the resulting public backlash,” Topper said.
“Government policy that can result in serious interruptions to student success, individual privacy, and how our economy operates should be handled through the legislative process instead of through regulation. We learned that during COVID and we should be practicing that now. As such, I call on the Shapiro administration to immediately withdraw these proposed regulations and work collaboratively with the legislature on their vision for public health management.”
This would also give the Department of Health the freedom to enter a school and interview any student in private, without parental notification. It would also grant authority to institute mask mandates in schools or the broader community.
“One of the principal lessons learned through the unilateral approach taken to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic was that the people demand their civil rights and individual freedom over government mandates,” Topper said.
“While there may be room for improvement in managing matters of public health and the spread of communicable diseases, we can never trade constitutional protections and personal liberty for the heavy hand of government.”
This stands in direct contradiction to Shapiro's recent comments that the Democrat Party is the one that supports freedoms.
Not good y'all:
— noturdad (@noturdad589) August 26, 2026
Furthermore, the Department of Health would have the authority to enter any school building to interview a student of any age in private, without notification to the parent or guardian, to interview the student for contact tracing and partner services.
Topper…
This is most decidedly not good.
Huge! @governorshapiro has dictated that the US constitution is null and void!
— Bad Kitty Unleashed 🦁 💪🏻 (@pepesgrandma) August 27, 2026
Under his proposed dictate, his administration can enter any Pennsylvania home without permission and also steal your health information! Thereby nullifying the constitution and HIPPA.
“The recently… https://t.co/Ox6lo6JpIc
The Fourth Amendment disagrees with these powers, by the way.
“Government policy that can result in serious interruptions to student success, individual privacy, and how our economy operates should be handled through the legislative process instead of through regulation. We learned that during COVID and we should be practicing that now.” https://t.co/5D28OOSnvY
— Dan Bartkowiak (@DanBartkowiak) August 26, 2026
Yes, all of this.
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