AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton once again has the City of Austin and Travis County in his sights - this time, over the state's efforts to end a COVID-19 mask mandate, and local efforts to continue to enforce one.
Paxton, in a letter sent Wednesday to Mayor Steve Adler and County Judge Andy Brown, gave the parties until 6 p.m. Wednesday evening to "rescind any local mask mandates or business-operating restrictions, retract any related public statements, and come into full compliance" with Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order, or face a lawsuit over the matter.
Adler, responding to Paxton's letter Wednesday afternoon in a press release, said the city and the county would continue to enforce the rules. "Judge Brown and I will continue to do everything within our power," Adler said, "continuing existing health authority orders and using every tool available to us to reduce the spread of the virus, to keep as many people as alive as possible, to safely open up schools to more in-person learning and safely more businesses. We will fight Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton’s assault against doctors and data for as long as we possibly can."
In a tweet earlier Wednesday, Paxton's office said they were "looking at every avenue available to stop" the local rules from being enforced.
"The state-wide mask mandate is lifted today," the tweet said. "Yet once again, @MayorAdler and @AndyBrownATX are trying to figure out how they can buck state law and resist @GovAbbott."
Gov. Greg Abbott's latest executive order, which lifted the statewide mask mandate as well as business capacity limits, went into effect Wednesday morning.
Abbott announced his latest order last week in Lubbock, saying “it’s time to reopen Texas 100%.”
However, local officials have said that public health rules issued by Dr. Mark Escott - including requiring a face covering - will remain in effect through at least April 15, unless they are extended further.
District 4 City Council member Greg Casar responded to Paxton's threat on Twitter, saying Paxton was "going out of [his] way (again) to win political points, even if it costs lives."
The rules also require businesses within the city and county to adopt health and safety plans that require customers, employees, and vendors to wear masks. Those that refuse to comply can be asked to leave the business, at which point violators could face criminal trespassing charges.
This is a developing story and will be updated.