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Kansas Republican lawmakers on Thursday ended their state’s mask mandate, hours after Gov. Laura Kelly (D) issued an executive order that would have kept one in place.
A group of lawmakers called the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) voted along party lines 5-2 to rescind the governor’s mask requirement, the Kansas City Star reported.
Kansas has joined 17 other states without a mask requirement, according to Kaiser Health News.
Masks have been a matter of political division since the start of the pandemic. As vaccinations roll out, a number of states have relaxed rules on masks and social distancing, even as public health experts have issued warnings over a dangerous number of new cases. The Biden administration has warned states not to prematurely drop coronavirus restrictions over fears of COVID-19 surges.
A Republican lawmaker said it doesn’t make sense to have a mandate in the state of Kansas and noted that local communities can impose their own local demands.
“The revocation of a single statewide mandate has no impact on the local controls in place,” said pro president Tem Blaine Finch (right), according to the Star. “The numbers don’t support a statewide mandate just yet.”
A new law, Senate Bill 40, which Kelly signed last month, ended all decrees related to masks and other COVID-19 restrictions on March 31. The new law also requires the LCC to meet to review new orders related to the pandemic within 24 hours. hours and gives the board the power to revoke them.
The law also allows individuals and businesses to oppose local COVID-19 restrictions and receive a judge’s review within 72 hours. Officials have a responsibility to prove that restrictions improve public health in the least restrictive way.
The law leaves some local officials hesitant to keep the restrictions in place for fear of facing such legal challenges, according to the Star.
Kansas House and the Senate had passed resolutions encouraging the LCC to reject the mask requirement because Republicans said it exceeded the governor’s authority.
Kelly responded to the decision in a statement, saying the warrant she issued allowed counties to follow a local mask order or opt out.
“I’m disappointed that Republican leaders are more motivated by stunts of political publicity than working together to protect the Kansans and our economy, ”she said.
“I know we are all ready to get back to normal, but wearing a face mask will help protect ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors from new strains of COVID-19 that are wreaking havoc in other states,” the governor added .
Kansas first issued a mask warrant in July, which was put in place on and off. The state has seen a drop in new COVID-19 cases since mid-January, when the United States faced a spike, according to the New York Times.
But officials said a fourth wave virus begins to hit states, with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyBiden administration unveils network of community leaders to urge COVID-19 vaccinations CDC director wrong – COVID fate not close to U.S. death rate increases nearly 16% MORE warning of “impending doom” if people do not follow health precautions.
This week, Biden pleaded with local officials to stop ending mask warrants and other coronavirus restrictions, saying, “Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the warrant. if you drop it. ”
Kansas Department of Health and Environment documented that 27.5 percent of state residents received at least one dose of the vaccine. All state residents over the age of 16 are eligible to receive the vaccine.
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