I was so disappointed in Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision last week to take a few steps back from the less-restrictive regulations that accompany the green phase of the state’s reopening.

What really is disturbing is that he gave businesses less than nine hours to comply.

Reacting to rising cases of COVID-19 in some parts of the state, Wolf put the brakes on bars that don’t serve food and reduced the indoor dining capacity of restaurants from 50% to 25%, among other new restrictions.

While the recent spikes are largely concentrated in southwestern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and its suburbs, Wolf said he was taking statewide action because medical experts projected the current surge could eclipse the April peak.

While I have generally supported Wolf’s tough and measured reopening strategies, what he has done seems to run counter to his previous plan to attack hot spots surgically but not make blanket statewide pronouncements as he has done with his latest regulations.

There have been a lot of complaints about Wolf’s latest edicts and the impact they will have.

I don’t see why Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe businesses should have to pay the price for what’s going on in Philadelphia, Allegheny and southeastern Pennsylvania hot spots.

Among our five local counties, cases have been higher in Northampton and especially Lehigh, so maybe a little tightening could have been used to be more cautious there, but the current new regulations smack of one size fits all.

The governor says bars must close unless serving dine-in meals. Restaurants must reduce seating capacity from 50% to 25% indoors. Outdoor service is unaffected. Social distancing and other measures already in place, including mandatory mask orders, must be enforced. All nightclubs must close.

State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Schuylkill, Carbon, was highly critical of Wolf’s announcement. He said that he and his wife have patronized restaurants in his district, and they were impressed with the steps owners and managers have taken to ensure the safety of the public and their employees.

“The governor just doesn’t get it,” Knowles said. “It appears that my constituents and those from the rural areas are paying for the sins of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,” Knowles said.

In agreeing with the urban-rural divide, Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, said Wolf continues to act like “King Tom the First” with no input from legislators and local officials.

Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, called Wolf’s actions a “sucker punch” to restaurant owners who had just gotten in new supplies after reopening recently. Heffley said everyone was blindsided by Wolf’s actions. Even the state Liquor Control Board was unaware of Wolf’s plans until he announced them at a news conference, Heffley said.

Some Democrats, including Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, support the governor’s initiative, calling it a pre-emptive strike to fight the virus’ spread, but Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton and Monroe, is not toeing the Democrats’ line. She has been a persistent Wolf critic on this issue, saying that he did not open the state quickly enough and in so doing has affected the livelihood of many small business-owners. She fears if some small businesses are forced to close again, they will not be able to reopen because of financial constraints.

Meanwhile, on the legislative front, the Republicans continue to lead an effort to blunt Wolf’s or any succeeding governor’s powers to order what they say amounts to an open-ended state of emergency.

To do so, however, a state Constitutional amendment is necessary, and this process takes time, patience and a little bit of luck. The Senate voted in favor of a bipartisan bill last week that would amend the state Constitution to limit future emergency declarations to 21 days. If a governor wants one to last longer, he or she would have to get legislative approval. Earlier, the House voted 117-85 with eight Democrats joining a unanimous Republican caucus.

The bill would create three separate ballot questions: one to limit emergency declarations, one to clarify the General Assembly’s authority to terminate or extend a disaster declaration without the governor’s approval, and a third to ensure equality under the law and prevent discrimination based on race or ethnicity.

Because the bill would amend the state Constitution, it does not need the Governor’s OK. Instead, it must be approved by the General Assembly in two consecutive legislative sessions before going to the voters in a referendum, possibly as early as in the 2021 primaries in May.

Usually, however, the General Assembly does not work that quickly, but Republicans, who have been repudiated earlier this year in trying to undo Wolf’s pandemic-related mandates, may have the motivation to crank up the speed, especially since they have commanding control of both houses of the legislature.

BRUCE FRASSINELLI | tneditor@tnonline.com