Today Governor Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting government entities from mandating masks.
That includes counties, cities, school districts and public health authorities. The Governor says starting Friday, local governments that try to impose mask mandates can be fined a thousand dollars.
Governor Abbott also says public schools can continue to follow their current mask-wearing guidelines until June 4th -- but after that no student, teacher, parent, staff member or visitor can be REQUIRED to wear a mask while on campus.
Governor Abbott says “The Lone Star State continues to defeat COVID-19 through the use of widely-available vaccines, antibody therapeutic drugs, and safe practices utilized by Texans in our communities," said Governor Abbott. "Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up."
There are some exemptions from the order. They include state-supported living centers, government-owned or operated hospitals, Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and county and municipal jails.