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TEXAS – Governor Greg Abbott has received national attention for his refusal to allow local governments and schools to prescribe masks, but local leaders are resisting.
What you need to know
- Governor Abbott’s ban on wearing masks has caused a stir with local business owners being proactive about the safety of their employees and customers
- El Paso County has issued a mask requirement for indoor spaces, which should come into effect on Wednesday morning
- Local officials and the state are arguing in court over the ban on the mask mandate
- According to a new Ipsos poll by Spectrum News, more than 60% of Texans support masking requirements in public places, including retail stores, schools, offices and restaurants
Although the Texas Supreme Court ruled to temporarily uphold Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says his order for schools and businesses to require masks indoors is still in effect.
El Paso County is also joining Dallas County to defy governor’s order and issue an indoor mask requirement for businesses that goes into effect early Wednesday morning shortly after midnight, a Dallas business owner says he feels yourself in the crosshairs.
At Buddy Sharp’s hair salon in Dallas County, masks are only required in public areas.
“Right now it’s extremely confusing because we don’t know who to listen to,” said Sharp, salon owner. “Our [Texas] The Supreme Court says one thing, our governor and Dallas County justices say another. “
Local officials and the state compete in court, battling for local control of mask mandates as the spread of the Delta variant leads to a surge in COVID-19 hospital admissions.
“Doctors came up to me and said their medical models indicated that we would be leaving the hospital beds in a few days,” Jenkins said.
Following the court ruling, Jenkins responded that his order to require masks indoors was still in effect, but he overturned the fine for companies that did not comply. He says his order is motivated by science and that of the governor by politics.
“It’s driven entirely by polls from Republican primary electors,” Jenkins said. “If you look at this and are just trying to get the 50 plus one in your area code to get re-elected governor against your main challengers, then you come up with a policy that the governor has now. But it’s not about being re-elected We are in a crisis. “
More than 60% of Texans support masking requirements in public places, including retail stores, schools, offices and restaurants, according to a new Ipsos poll by Spectrum News. In Austin, John Kunz asks for masks in his Waterloo Records store.
“I think a mandate would do better for the whole state, but it is what it is, and at least as a company we can say, ‘You have to wear a mask in our four walls’ and that’s what we do.” made it, “said Kunz.
The governor previously said it should be left to the individual business owners to decide whether or not masks are required, but Jenkins says more needs to be done to slow the spread.
“Personal responsibility is not an excuse for poor action and a lack of grip and courage on the part of leaders,” said Jenkins.
While officials battle over authority, confusion about the conflicting mask mandates seems to be as widespread as the variant.
“We have somehow lost our trust in the decision-making of our leadership. We don’t know who to believe, “said Sharp.
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