HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that the Commonwealth’s Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam would resign her position at the end of the year, just three days after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania struck down a statewide school mask mandate order that she issued in September.
Beam’s order mandated that students, teachers and support staff in all Pennsylvania public schools, private schools and child care facilities wear face coverings when inside, regardless of vaccination status.
“I am proud to have worked with Acting Secretary Beam over the past several years, and the Commonwealth has been fortunate to have had the benefit of her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic – especially as the Department of Health oversaw a massive vaccine roll-out over the course of the past year,” Wolf said.
“Thank you, Acting Secretary Beam, for stepping up to serve the Commonwealth during a difficult time. We will miss your leadership, your determination and your dedication to building healthier communities for all Pennsylvanians.”
Prior to her role as Secretary of Health, Beam served in a number of capacities in the Wolf Administration, including as the governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff and in coordinating the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 pandemic response and its health insurance marketplace, Pennie, among others.
“Thank you to Gov. Wolf, his leadership team, and the incredibly dedicated Department of Health employees. Serving as Acting Secretary during such a critical time in public health has been the most humbling honor of my career. Under the governor’s leadership, the administration has made critical strides in ensuring access to health care for all Pennsylvanians and in turn created a healthier, more equitable Commonwealth for generations to come. I could not be prouder to have worked alongside such devoted public servants during my tenure with the Wolf Administration,” Beam said.
Wolf announced that succeeding Beam as Acting Secretary of Health at the start of the new year, will be current Executive Deputy Secretary of Health, Keara Klinepeter.
“Thank you to Gov. Wolf and Acting Secretary Beam for their steadfast leadership, especially during this trying time for all Pennsylvanians. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the tremendous employees at the Department of Health and ensuring public health remains a top priority throughout the Commonwealth. I am honored for the opportunity to lead public health efforts during this critical time and to serve my fellow Pennsylvanians,” Klinepeter said.
The news of Beam’s resignation comes on the heels of the state Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday that the statewide school mask mandate she authored was unenforceable – concurring with a prior ruling from the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania handed down last month.
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Senate President pro tempore Jake Corman, Rep. Jesse Topper, Calvary Baptist Church, Hillcrest Christian Academy and 10 parents of schoolchildren in three different school districts statewide (Wyomissing Area, Butler Area and Slippery Rock Area) first filed suit in the Commonwealth Court in September against the Wolf Administration, including Beam.
The plaintiffs argued that Beam’s order was invalid since it did not proceed through the state’s regulatory review process and due to recently-approved amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution curtailing Wolf’s emergency powers.
The Commonwealth Court, and later the state Supreme Court, agreed with that rationale.
A spokesperson for Wolf recently issued a statement on the state Supreme Court ruling.
“The administration’s top priority from the beginning of this pandemic has been and remains protecting public health and safety, including students and staff, to ensure in-person learning continues. We are awaiting an opinion on the decision, but the outcome is extremely disappointing. That said, the administration recognizes that many school districts want to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for students and staff, and we are hopeful they will make appropriate mitigation decisions moving forward,” Wolf Administration Press Secretary Elizabeth Rementer said.
The Wolf Administration urged all eligible Pennsylvanians to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot, and to vaccinate children ages 5 and older.
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com