[ad_1]
Escalating a political row, State Attorney General Jeff Landry issued an advisory Friday that the Louisiana Higher School Board has the final say on face mask rules despite Gov. John Bel Edwards’ order depending on which students wear them.
The state Council for Primary and Secondary Education could tackle the thorny subject at its meeting on August 17.
The governor called Landry’s comments sad, irresponsible and dangerous.
“I think he’s dead wrong,” Edwards said.
Landry expressed his point after Senator Patrick McMath, R-Covington, asked for an opinion.
Edwards issued his directive on Monday as part of a larger order re-imposing Louisiana’s indoor face mask mandate amid skyrocketing rates of the coronavirus.
Governor John Bel Edwards accused State Attorney General Jeff Landry of confusing face mask rules for children and reiterated that …
The order has sparked a pullback in St. Tammany Parish and other areas, with some parents vehemently opposing a new round of compulsory mask wear.
In his five-page opinion, Landry said the legislature specifically gave the state council for elementary and secondary education the power to spell out security protocols.
“This office believes that guidelines for safety protocols to be observed by teachers and students in school facilities during the school day are in themselves a vital aspect of education over which BESE has the power. constitutional and statutory oversight… ”says the document.
In addition, BESE may adopt rules providing guidance to local school boards to adopt such policies taking into account factors specific to the school district, such as district positivity rate, event parameters, composition of the school district. group, the physical distance between the students in the class, the activity engaged and other relevant criteria, ”according to the notice.
“BESE finds its authority to oversee and control education in that state in the state constitution, and the legislature is the only other body with constitutional authority to regulate education in Louisiana nationwide. ‘State,’ he says.
BESE President Sandy Holloway said on Friday she received a call from Landry and he said the opinion was coming.
Officials said Friday was the last day the face mask issue could be added to the council’s agenda, and it was done.
Holloway said the topic was worth discussing.
“I can’t say what the board is going to want to do,” she said.
Others said the 11-member panel felt they were adopting some sort of policy that leaves the face mask and other issues to local school systems.
The board said earlier it would defer to the state’s 69 school districts on how they handle COVID-19 safety rules.
The governor’s order earlier this week that K-12 students wear masks seemed to trump that stance, at least for now.
Doing it again could put BESE on a collision course with the governor, who appoints three members.
BESE in July 2020 approved minimum safety standards for the reopening of public schools, including a recommendation that students and adults wear face masks.
Landry noted that these standards expired on June 30.
During an 80-minute briefing on the virus, Edwards lambasted Landry’s take on face masks for students.
“The point is, I have the power and the obligation under the current circumstances to declare public health emergencies,” he said.
“Not only is he wrong, but he is doing everything possible to undermine public confidence in mitigation measures… at a time when we need them more than ever.”
“It’s sad. It’s unfortunate. It’s also irresponsible and it’s dangerous.”
In a Facebook post, the Louisiana Democratic Party said, “AG Jeff Landry is a threat to public health. “
The opinions of the Attorney General are advisory and do not have the same weight as a state law.
Democrat Edwards and Republican Landry have been arguing for months over how to respond to the pandemic.
The governor has repeatedly said his orders are aimed at curbing a virus outbreak that has turned Louisiana into a national hotspot.
Landry’s opinion says the state has been “under a perpetual state of emergency” since March 2020 and that Edwards’ latest order “allegedly applies” to public schools without specifically mentioning masks.
He also says the governor’s directive does not say where he gets his authority for the latest set of rules.
The Louisiana Republican Party joined the fray on Friday in a fundraising appeal.
“John Bel Edwards reintroduced the mask mandate in Louisiana, even in schools where our children should be focusing on learning rather than wearing a mask.”
“There seems to be no end to terms of office, so we have to fight,” the GOP said.
[ad_2]
Source link