Newly minted Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin just nabbed another victory against the mask fanatics in his state.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Democrat controlled Virginia state Senate voted in bipartisan fashion 29-9 to give parents a choice about whether their children wear a mask at school.
"Not withstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, rule, or policy implemented by a school board, school division, school official, or other state or local authority, the parent of any child enrolled in a public elementary school or secondary school, or in any school-based early childhood care and education program, may elect for such a child to not wear a mask while on school property. A parent making such an election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child's health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election," the legislation states.
With bipartisan support, Va Senate approves Dem ??@ChapPetersen? floor amendment to R ?@Dunnavant4VA? bill giving parents the right to choose if their kids wear masks. pic.twitter.com/xH2Bm8wgoj
— Laura Vozzella (@LVozzella) February 8, 2022
Democratic Virginia State Senator calls on FCPS superintendent to end the unnecessary and harmful forced masking of children, noting it does not "save lives" and shouldn't be done for political reasons. @ChapPetersen to sponsor legislation to stop forced masking. @FCPSSupt pic.twitter.com/qLq288uICx
— Fairfax County Parents Association (@FFXParentsAssoc) February 7, 2022
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The victory comes shortly after a judge struck down a lawsuit from a number of northern Virginia school districts to keep mask mandates in place. The majority of parents in the districts oppose the mandates.
"Today, the Supreme Court of Virginia rejected a challenge out of the City of Chesapeake to Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order Number 2. The Governor and I are pleased with today’s ruling. At the beginning of this pandemic, Governor Northam used his broad emergency powers to close places of worship, private businesses, and schools and impose a statewide mask mandate," Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares released in a statement. "Nearly two years later, we have better risk mitigation strategies and vaccines, and we know much more about the efficacy of requiring children to wear masks all day. We agree with the Court's decision and will continue to defend the Executive Order. This is a victory for Virginia families."
The Supreme Court of Virginia has rejected a challenge out of Chesapeake to @GovernorVA's EO2.
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) February 7, 2022
This is a win for Virginia families. https://t.co/OtEFdqkudJ
Meanwhile, on the west coast Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced an end to forced masking for adults. Children in the state will still be forced to hide their faces while adults roam free.
California will lift its universal mask mandate for public places next week, but K-12 students (who are at a profoundly lower risk) will still be required to wear masks. https://t.co/nKig5qr6E6
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) February 8, 2022
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