Republican state lawmakers and officials are taking new action against school mask mandates, and facing opposition from school districts who want to keep the orders in place, as Covid-19 transmission in schools remains a major controversy in light of surging coronaviruses cases from the omicron variant.
On August 19, 2021, the students of Gabby Mondelli will attend Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia.
The Washington Post.
The governor of Virginia signed an executive order that requires parents to be able to opt out of school mask orders, but some schools in the state have pushed back and kept mask mandates in place.
The lieutenant governor of Virginia told Fox News Monday that the state could potentially deny funding to schools if they don't comply with mask mandates.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement Tuesday that he was preparing to bring legal action against schools with mask mandates later this week, after previously warning school districts their orders were illegal and must be stopped immediately.
A bill that would prohibit school mask mandates, along with Covid-19 testing and other requirements, passed the state's House Education Committee Wednesday.
The Arizona Attorney General said in a letter that the state will not change its policy of not giving federal funding to schools with mask mandates if the Treasury Department takes it back.
In Florida, Texas, Utah and Oklahoma, there are existing bans or restrictions on school mask mandates.
The power to make health decisions for children should be in the hands of parents and families, and I will take school districts after school districts to court to achieve that goal.
It's called Tangent.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is one of the Virginia parents who have supported school districts in their attempts to defy the state. Psaki thanked the Arlington public school district for standing up for their kids, teachers and administrators.
What to watch for.
Several parents in Virginia sued the state Wednesday in an effort to block Youngkin's school mask mandate ban. Several states have had their school mask mandates blocked in court.
There is a key background.
School mask mandate bans became a national controversy at the start of the school year when the delta variant of the coronaviruses surged, spurring widespread lawsuits and civil rights investigations from the U.S. Department of Education. The issue of Covid-19 in schools has become a major issue in light of the omicron variant, which has resulted in widespread teacher shortages, school outbreaks and feuds between students, teachers and local officials.
Parents in Virginia file a lawsuit against Youngkin for making masks optional.
The House passed a bill preventing school systems from imposing mask mandates.
The Biden administration is threatening to withdraw Arizona Stimulus funds used for anti-mask mandates.
Live updates on the coronaviruses.
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