Texas Officials Plead With Abbott To Rescind Mask Executive Order

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AUSTIN, TX – Texas officials from all corners of the state urged Governor Greg Abbott to cancel his mask orders and urged state lawmakers to oppose laws disrupting local government during a virtual call Friday.

Officials from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio held a joint press conference on Friday urging Abbott to lift its order, which is preventing schools, workplaces and local officials from taking the necessary steps to stop the spread of COVID -19, especially the highly contagious delta, stop variant.

Representatives from the Workers Defense Action Fund, Local Progress and the Texas section of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations also attended the call.

“The Delta variant is raging through the state, schools are opening, parents are worried and students are afraid. Local businesses and community leaders are doing everything they can to keep people safe, ”said Rick Levy, president of Texas AFL-CIO. “And yet, Governor Abbott is doing all he can to not fight COVID, but to fight local officials who are doing everything they can to protect us.”

The call to action comes after an increase in the number of delta variants threatens to overflow Texas hospitals. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 11,261 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled on Thursday.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 11,261 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled on Thursday. (Shutterstock)

The data shows that there are only 7,187 hospital beds available, 323 ICU beds occupied, and 6,708 ventilators available for people who need them.

It gets worse depending on the region. Some regions report fewer than 10 staffed intensive care beds available; while Region H (which serves an area near Houston), Region N (which serves the area where Bryan and College Station are located), Region T (which serves Webb County), and Region U ( that serves the Coastal Bend) report zero occupied intensive care beds from Thursday.

As the surge in COVID-19 cases hits the state’s largest subways, school districts like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio have issued their own mask mandates when students return for the 2021-2022 school year, which turns out to be opposed the order of Governor Abbott.

Under Ordinance GA-38, issued in May, no public school district, public university, or local official can issue a mask order.

Houston ISD School Board Trustee Anne Sung said Friday she implores the governor to support school districts that are striving to keep schools open and safe.

“In order for us to run our schools, we need to be able to use all of the tools recommended by the CDC and our local health professionals,” said Sung. “Last year’s mask mandate saved lives and our school districts must continue to be able to do whatever it takes to protect our schools.”

On Wednesday, Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced they would buckle up against local authorities, including school districts, who oppose the order. Anyone who does that will be brought to justice.

As the surge in COVID-19 cases hits the state’s largest subways, school districts like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio have issued their own mask mandates when students return for the 2021-2022 school year, which turns out to be opposed the order of Governor Abbott. (Shutterstock)

“The way forward is based on personal responsibility – not government mandates. The state of Texas will continue to vigorously oppose the injunction (an injunction from Dallas and Bexar counties) protecting the rights and freedoms of all Texans, ”the governor’s office said.

Paxton said he was confident that the courts will rule in favor of the state and stand up for freedom and individual decisions, not mandates and government abuse.

While the governor’s office is determined in its decision, city officials are calling on state lawmakers to reject laws that undermine the authority of local governments to look after their communities, including Senate Law 14 and House Law 10.

“As an elected official, I have sworn an oath to perform the duties of the office entrusted to us by the people. The governor has exceeded his powers by not having the power to restrict counties, cities, and schools. Districts’ ability to respond to emergencies, “said Andy Brown, Travis County judge.” We cannot allow this state interference. Local governments need to be able to do what they need to protect our communities. “

MORE: Mask mandate issued in Austin-Travis County defies government ban

As the Texas Tribune reported, there is now a “patchwork of mandates across the state”.

Following a lawsuit, Dallas and Bexar counties can at least temporarily require masks in public schools and many government buildings, according to the Texas Tribune.

According to the report, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins also ordered daycare centers and businesses to require employees and customers to wear masks.

“This shouldn’t be a fight between Republicans and Democrats or vaccinated against unvaccinated,” Jenkins said on Friday. “We are all in ‘Team Human Beings’ and the enemy is the virus. As with any health emergency, we should listen to the doctors. “

The data reports that there are only 7,187 hospital beds available, 323 ICU beds occupied, and 6,708 ventilators available for people who need them. (Shutterstock)

Denton city council member Deb Armintor said Friday that Denton is one of the many cities to vote and approve a mask mandate starting Thursday.

“We, as elected leaders, have a responsibility to act quickly to slow the spread of Covid-19 and protect the communities we serve,” she said. “We listened to concerns from parents, teachers and public health experts and did the right thing.”

On Friday, the governor’s press secretary, Renae Eze, told Patch that the claim that the governor did not have the authority to protect the rights and freedoms of Texans was simply “simply misguided”.

“Texans have learned and mastered the safe practices over the past year to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from COVID-19 and don’t need a government to tell them how to do it,” Eze said.

She said local leaders across the state have access to over $ 10 billion in federal COVID-19 funding to help their communities respond and provide medical care to fight this virus, but they have “refused to to use these funds for the intended purpose ”.

“Governor Abbott earlier this week announced additional measures the state is taking to contain the recent surge in COVID cases, including recruiting and deploying over 2,500 medical personnel, opening additional antibody infusion centers and increasing vaccine availability across the state.” said Eze. “It is time these local leaders began directing their resources to help their Texans.”

The governor’s press secretary said the elimination of government mandates did not end personal responsibility or the importance of caring for family members, friends and their community.

“Vaccines are the most effective defense against contracting COVID and serious illness, and we continue to urge all eligible Texans to get the vaccine,” she said.

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