The Governor loses another round in his effort to keep students masked.
The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which includes Democratic and Republican Lawmakers, unanimously voted Tuesday to suspend the emergency mask rules. The committee noted the current restraining order in place preventing more than 100 school districts across the state from requiring the masks.
The decision temporarily suspends the emergency rule for schools across the state, not just those who were named in the lawsuit brought by Thomas Devore. More action could be taken after the Appellate Court rules on the Governor’s appeal on the court decision.
Some legislators say the JCAR decision leaves the decision on masking up to local school districts.
In response, the Governor continued to urge all schools and parents to continue to wear masks to keep everyone in their schools and communities safe.
Meanwhile, Devore is seeking contempt of court rulings against school districts named in his lawsuit that are not dropping the mask mandates for students who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The State House also got into some heated discussion after some state legislators, including State Representatives Blaine Wilhour and Adam Niemerg, ditched their masks on the house floor and issued the following statement:
“Today we entered the House chambers without a mask. So long as school districts continue to defy the courts and force the unwanted and unnecessary covering of the faces of children in schools, we will no longer comply with the mask theatre that takes place here.” They conclude by saying “It’s over. It’s gone on long enough”.
