HARRISBURG, February 5, 2021 State Sen. Jim Brewster released the following statement on today’s passage of Senate Bill 109, a sweeping COVID relief package that, along with federal action, contains measures the former banker-turned-state Senator proposed more than nine months ago when he introduced his Six-Point COVID 19 Health and Business Recovery Plan:

“Today’s passage of additional relief measures for Pennsylvanians hard hit by the pandemic is great news, although long overdue.

That the response to a historic health and economic crisis could have gotten mired in month after month of partisan politics is inexcusable and should give future students of political science something to examine for years to come.

For now, the bill that the Senate concurred in today is proof that no one in Harrisburg has the monopoly on good policy ideas and that collaboration is critical to the process.

The bill contains important ideas brought forth both by the experience of veteran colleagues as well as the fresh prospective and creative energy of new members.

My proposal to exempt from taxation COVID relief payments ran a circuitous route through the General Assembly but made it to the finish line, while other proposals from the pandemic’s early days have seen federal action.

I am confident we will do more to shore up the economy and do what’s right for those who have sacrificed so much to get us through the past year.”

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