Texas Supreme Court sides with Abbott, temporarily blocks mask warrants in San Antonio, Dallas

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The Texas Supreme Court granted stay orders on Sunday, but previously scheduled hearings on local mask warrants in lower courts in Bexar and Dallas counties will proceed as scheduled.

Abbott last month issued an executive order banning government entities, including school districts, from requiring masks.

But officials in Dallas and Bexar counties, which includes San Antonio, have requested restraining orders against the execution of Abbott’s order, which were granted.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said friday he appealed lower court decisions to the Texas Supreme Court.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who sought the temporary restraining order against Abbott’s Executive Order, reacted to the state Supreme Court’s ruling on Twitter on Sunday, noting that the hearing in The temporary injunction scheduled for August 24 will continue.

“We will not stop working with parents, doctors, schools, businesses + others to protect you and intend to earn that [temporary injunction] hearing, ” Jenkins said.

Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said on Sunday his district would continue to apply a mask warrant when students and staff return to district campuses Monday morning, despite the Texas Supreme Court ruling. .

“The Supreme Court order applied to Dallas County, and it’s listed as ‘Clay Jenkins and Dallas County,’ it didn’t say a word about Dallas ISD in that order. And so, I was. on the phone with my lawyers all afternoon and they are 100% unanimous, ”Hinojosa said.

“We are going to have the mask mandate tomorrow. We are going to be benevolent; we are going to be kind, but we are going to be firm and we are going to uphold it,” said the superintendent.

Teachers in states banning mask warrants speak out. Here's what they want you to know

Bexar County officials also said on Sunday evening that they would continue to enforce the mask mandate in public schools and facilities in the city, despite the state Supreme Court ruling.

The City of San Antonio and Bexar County response to the Texas Supreme Court continues to emphasize that the governor cannot use his emergency powers to suspend laws that give local entities the flexibility to act in emergency, ”said San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovia. in a report. “Its power to suspend is intended to facilitate action, not to prohibit it,” Segovia noted.

“The health directive from Dr Junda Woo of the Bexar County Health Authority requiring the use of masks in public schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12 remains in effect. City facilities will also continue to require the use of masks for staff and visitors, ”Segovia said. bed.

The decision is the latest in a series of disputes across the state – and the country – over mask mandates as schools prepare to reopen and as many students remain ineligible for a Covid-19 vaccine. Children under 12 are not yet allowed to be vaccinated in the United States.
Saturday, Texas Department of State Health Services reported 21,896 new cases of COVID-19 statewide.

CNN’s Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.



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