Mid City Times

Gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines criticizes Gov. Abbot and Texas school districts that reinstate mask requirements due to the omicron variant. Despite the governor's ban on mask mandates, Texas Scorecard reports public school districts in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and South Texas have reinstated or continued mask mandates throughout the last few weeks. The publication cited Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who has stated that children do not need to wear face masks to protect themselves or others, and Stanford University’s Dr. Scott Atlas, who has stated that mask mandates have not been effective in slowing the spread of coronavirus cases. 

“This is yet another area where Abbott’s weakness is taking a toll on Texans’ well-being," said Huffines. "It was Abbott’s executive order that empowered local government tyrants to place these measures on our kids, in the first place. Despite Abbott’s talk about ending mask mandates, in practice, thousands of Texans are still suffering under them. As governor, I will immediately prioritize ending mask mandates statewide at all levels, as Florida has done, through legislation. Texans should remember that Abbott could call a special session to end these mandates any time he wanted.”

Abbott had previously issued executive orders mandating masking and business shutdowns at the beginning of the pandemic, but last July he reversed his position and issued an executive order banning mask mandates. However, public officials across Texas have ignored that ban and issued their own mandates.

In March 2020, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that closed schools, bars and gyms, and limited restaurants to only takeout and delivery orders. It also banned Texans from visiting family at nursing homes or long-term care facilities. COVID-19 had allegedly caused the death of three people in Texas at the time of Abbott’s order, reports KUT.

In July 2020, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all Texans older than age 10 to wear masks in public buildings, businesses and outdoor public spaces, reported the Texas Tribune. He also banned outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people unless approved by local officials. Democrat San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg complimented Abbott on the mask mandate, saying “We will count this one as a good step that the governor is taking." On July 29, 2021, Abbott issued executive order GA-38, banning all government entities from instating mask mandates.

In January, Travis County Texas Court of Appeals Justice Chari L. Kelly ruled Abbott didn’t have the authority to ban local governments from requiring all citizens to wear masks. Kelly, a Democrat elected in 2018, said the Texas Legislature could pass a law banning masks, but that Abbott’s executive order banning them isn’t allowed by the Texas Disaster Act.

Elected in 2014, Abbott is currently serving as the 48th governor of Texas. Before being elected governor, Abbott was the longest-serving attorney general of Texas. Huffines will face Abbott in the gubernatorial primary on March 1.