The General Assembly passed a resolution purporting to end the state of emergency declared by Gov. Tom Wolf in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Wolf immediately said the resolution had no legal effect on his executive order, setting up a possible fight to be resolved by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

The resolution, written by state Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, passed on a 31-19 vote in the Senate and 121-81 vote in the state House of Representatives on June 9. Two Senate and 12 House Democrats joined all of the Republicans in supporting the measure.

House Resolution 836 cited statutory authority for the General Assembly to terminate a governor's emergency declaration.

"Our duty as a co-equal branch of government is to serve as a check on that authority in case that judgment creeps into overreach or violates the rights of Pennsylvania citizens," Diamond said in a memo to colleagues.

"We can't do this for another 90 days," said state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, according to a report from Pittsburgh television station WTAE, referring to restrictions that have curbed business and resulted in job loss.

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny, countered that removing the emergency declaration would jeopardize federal funding sought by the state government.

Wolf said in a statement that the concurrent resolution has to come to his desk for signature before it can have effect.

"Ending the disaster declaration also would remove many practical aspects of the state's response to this disaster," Wolf said in a statement, "including the authority to activate the National Guard to help with nursing homes; deploying commonwealth personnel, services and distributing supplies and equipment; implementing emergency funding; [and] suspending rules and regulations that would hinder or delay necessary action in coping with the emergency."