Governors in states like Arizona, Texas, and Florida have appeased their Trump-voting base, many of whom believe COVID-19 is a hoax, mask mandates are a form of control, and the virus that has killed more than 600,000 Americans is nothing more than a flu, by banning mask mandates for public schools. In each of those states, COVID-19 is on the rise with schools set to reopen in coming days, causing some substantial alarm for parents and school officials.
Schools in Arizona are suing over the state’s mask mandate ban, a measure supported by Governor Doug Ducey, saying that Republican legislators passed the bill illegally by violating standards set by the state’s constitution. Specifically, the bill was attached to a budget resolution plan despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the state’s budget.
According to documents filed with the court:
‘The Arizona Constitution places two important limitations on laws passed the Legislature: (1) the laws can cover only one subject, and (2) their contents must be properly noticed in the title of the bill. This legislative session, the Legislature passed several so-called “budget reconciliation bills” that violate these constitutional mandates…
‘HB 2898 bans all public and charter schools – but not private schools – from requiring students and staff to wear masks in school to protect against the spread of COVID-19. The Legislature passed this bill in the face of a public health crisis, when the COVID-19 virus is mutating and spreading rapidly across the country and this state, including among children. This legislation unfairly discriminates against Arizona’s public and charter school students as compared to their private school peers regarding their right to a safe education, a fundamental right under Arizona law.’
Twitter was quick to praise the lawsuit brought by Arizona schools. Read some of their comments below:
