North Dakota House Passes Bill Banning Mandatory Mask Wearing

The North Dakota House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that would make future mask warrants illegal.

The Herald of Grand Forks reported that the bill passed 50-44. He then heads to the State Senate.

The bill comes three months after North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (right) imposed a statewide mask mandate, though the governor himself has previously expressed skepticism about such a decision.

The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Jeff Hoverson (right), called the mask “evil foolishness”, calling them a conspiracy led by “unelected wealthy bureaucrats who steal our freedoms and perpetuate lies” , reported the Herald.

The number of COVID-19 cases has declined after Burgum’s mask tenure. The Herald also notes that health experts attributed the drop to a combination of factors, including restrictions on businesses and increased social distancing.

According to the newspaper, several GOP supporters of the state bill said they believed wearing a mask did nothing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Several health experts, including the country’s leading infectious disease expert, Anthony FauciAnthony FauciPublix gives employees who receive COVID-19 vaccine a 5-store gift card on Sunday – COVID-19 dominates as dark Fauci stage approaches: 500,000 coronavirus deaths are ‘devastating’ MORE, said wearing a mask is essential to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

The newspaper noted that masks are needed in both chambers of the state legislature. However, the rule is not strictly enforced, with House Speaker Kim Koppelman noting that the rule could be reviewed in the coming weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a study that found wearing a sheet mask over a medical mask can significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.

According to CDC data, North Dakota has confirmed more than 94,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,438 deaths since the pandemic began nearly a year ago.