Texas Supreme Court Sides With Gov. Abbott, Temporarily Upholds Mask Mandate Ban – By Kaia Hubbard (US News) / Aug 16 2021
Following rulings from lower courts upholding challenges to the governor’s mask mandate ban, recent mask mandates in Dallas and San Antonio have been blocked.
The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked local mask mandates, siding with Gov. Greg Abbott after rulings last week upheld mask mandates in Dallas and San Antonio.
The decision Sunday comes after Abbott reinforced legislation in July barring government entities in the state, including school districts, from instituting mask requirements. But as coronavirus cases began to rise in the Lone Star State amid the delta variant, some school districts pushed back.
Officials in Dallas County and Bexar County, where San Antonio is located, were granted temporary restraining orders against the governor’s ban last week, citing the districts’ ability to establish safety orders, which were upheld after a challenge from the governor. In Harris County, home to Houston, a state district judge gave temporary permission to implement safety measures such as mask mandates.
Dallas Independent School District, the largest in the state, defied the governor’s orders on Aug. 9, requiring masks be worn by all students and staff in schools, regardless of vaccination status. The mask mandate will stand in schools throughout the district at this time, Dallas schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told local television station CBS DFW.
