[ad_1]
AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) – The Texas Supreme Court will determine whether school district masking requirements can be pushed forward despite Governor Greg Abbott.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a tweet late Friday night that he had taken the mask mandate battle to the state Supreme Court, and Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee tweeted Saturday that the court is “speeding up the case “Will decide.
This comes after Abbott suffered multiple defeats Friday afternoon to overturn local mask mandates after banning such precautions at the start of the pandemic.
Eane’s ISD issued a mask mandate after the judge blocked Governor Abbott’s ban
The 4th San Antonio Court of Appeals dismissed Abbott’s appeal to overturn an order from the local health department in Bexar County requiring the wearing of masks in local public schools. Abbott attempted to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed the local mandate.
Minutes later, the 5th Dallas Court of Appeals made an identical decision in Abbott’s contestation – and upheld that mandate – from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ order to require masks to be used in public schools, universities and businesses.
The Hays County judge ordered masks to be mandatory in schools to defy Governor Abbott’s ban
In the past few days, a patchwork of masks mandates in schools, government buildings, and businesses has emerged across the state. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have vowed to fight local governments that oppose the governor’s ban. Abbott has released a playbook of “personal responsibility” for government intervention in dealing with the pandemic.
Earlier on Friday, a district judge temporarily granted Harris County and several school districts of Texas to enforce masking requirements and other safety measures against COVID-19 on Friday afternoon. But a Tarrant County judge issued an injunction blocking the Fort Worth Independent School District’s mask mandate after finding it was inappropriate for an unelected headmaster to set the policy.
The Abbott Executive Order litigation comes when school starts, or is about to start, in counties across the state, while COVID-19 infections rise and hospitals fill with patients.
WEEKEND READING: The battle for back-to-school masks hits the boiling point as the counties of Texas Governor Abbott. challenge
This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a non-profit, non-partisan media organization that educates and interacts with Texans on public order, politics, government and statewide issues.
[ad_2]
