Bell Manufacturer Sues Pa. Governor Over Issuance of COVID-19 Closure Order

PHILADELPHIA — The owners of a company that manufactures orchestral hand bells has filed a class action against Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf, alleging his COVID-19 closure order has caused considerable damage to non-life-sustaining businesses in the state.

In a March 26 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Schulmerich Bells LLC and two of its employees say the order violates the 5th Amendment’s “taking clause,” which prohibits the government from seizing private property for public use.

The lawsuit also names Pennsylvania Department of Health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine as a defendant.

Governor Wolf …