(WWJ) A state legislative committee has advanced a package of bills that would ban face mask mandates, as well as COVID-19 testing and vaccine requirements in all K-12 schools in Michigan.
Emotions ran high as members of the Senate Education and Career Readiness heard from about a dozen parents in support of the bills on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 600 would prohibit schools from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine to attend classes, ride a school bus, attend any school-sponsored event, attend a school board meeting or participate in extracurricular activities. The bill also prohibits schools from discriminating between vaccinated and unvaccinated students.
Senate Bill 601 would prohibit schools from requiring a face covering for students to attend school, from COVID-19 testing asymptomatic students or from discriminating between tested and untested students.
Senate Bill 602 would prohibit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health officials from instituting any rule that requires a COVID-19 vaccine, face covering or take a COVID-19 test when asymptomatic to participate in any school activity.
Senate Bill 603 would prohibit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health officials ordering students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, wear a mask or take a COVID-19 test to participate in school activities. The bill also would include any member of the public who wants to attend a school board meeting.
At the hearing, a host of parents testified in favor of the bills, explaining how their children are suffering, and insisting that they are the best judge of what's right for their kids.
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Janey McElvaney, with the group "Let Them Play Michigan," shared stories relayed to her by upset moms and dads.
"A 7-year-old little boy got reprimanded for putting his mask below his nose because he needed to breathe, because he has allergies, he has severe allergies," she said. "And he wrote on his little reprimand — that he had to answers all of these questions as to why he took his mask below his nose, how dare he — and he said, 'Because I needed to breathe. My allergies are bad.'"
Things got heated when the sold Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dayna Polehanki, questioned Republican Sen. Kym LaSata on the mask issue.
"Does your doctor say that you should not wear a mask?" asked Polehanki.
LaSate stumbled a bit with her reply, stating: "My doctor said it should be... it should be... My doctor wears a mask all day because she sees patients all day long. She's always worn a mask. It is my choice! These are my kids, not your kids!"
Jessica Maytheack, a mother who works as a nurse, suggested that face coverings can affect a child's mental well-being, alleging that there's harm associated with what she called "forced masking."
"Forced mandates absolutely plays a role in the mental health of children, and anyone (who) denies this lacks compassion and should not be in a position of authority over children," she said.
"It is my hope and prayer that you never heard the words, 'I am having thoughts of killing myself,' like my 10-year-old son did earlier this year. As a nurse, I knew the signs; I knew what to do and how to help him, but not everyone does."
Maytheack suggested that health risks are low for children, and that COVID-19 is not the most pressing issue currently faced by Michigan students.
"Our latest MSTEP results are proof of that," she said.
In the metro Detroit area, the Detroit Public Schools and Warren Consolidated Schools are two of larger districts requiring masks. In Oakland County, the health department mandated masks in all public schools.
Those in favor of mask and vaccine mandates in schools say they are aimed at preventing a return to virtual learning and the spread of the highly contagious delta variant to the community at large.
This includes the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which said "layered prevention measures" — including universal masking must be put in place for consistent in-person learning to keep kids, staff and families safe. While MDHHS is "strongly recommending" mask requirements as part of its updated gudance for schools, the department stopped short of issuing a statewide mandate.
The four-bill package now moves on to the full Senate for debate. If passed by the Senate and the House, the legislation would need to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in order to become law.
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