In A Flash

63 Louisiana House members ask state school board to sidestep K-12 schools mask mandate

By: - August 16, 2021 12:50 pm
Republicans ask Gov. Edwards to rescind mask mandate in schools

About 28 million children ages 5 to 11 are eligible for the Pfizer shot now that a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for the younger age group. (Getty Images)

Sixty-three House members signed a letter asking the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to direct local K-12 school districts to adopt their own mask protocols — in defiance of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ statewide mask mandate.

All 63 House members who signed the letter are Republicans. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-French Settlement, and House Speaker Pro Tempore Tanner Magee, R-Houma, were among them.

The letter, dated Aug. 16, states that Louisiana’s constitution “provides that BESE shall supervise and control the public elementary and secondary schools and special schools under its jurisdiction.”

“Please use this authority to act on behalf of parents and local school leaders, just as your Board agreed to do earlier in the pandemic,” the letter reads. “BESE can establish a position that gives direction to each school board based on local health risks.”

A smaller group of House members and Senate leaders sent letters to the governor last week, asking him to rescind his mask mandate as it applies to schools.

Edwards was previously in favor of allowing each school district to set its own pandemic protocols, but surging coronavirus hospitalizations coupled with pleading from the state’s healthcare community prompted him to issue the statewide mask mandate on Aug. 2, he said.

 

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BESE Mask Letter

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Wesley Muller
Wesley Muller

Wes Muller traces his journalism roots to 1997 when, at age 13, he built a hyper-local news website for his New Orleans neighborhood. Since then, he has freelanced for the Times-Picayune and worked on staff at WAFB/CBS, the Sun Herald and the Enterprise-Journal, winning awards from the SPJ, Associated Press, Mississippi Press Association and McClatchy. He also taught English as an adjunct instructor at Baton Rouge Community College. Muller is a New Orleans native, Jesuit High School alumnus, University of New Orleans alumnus and a U.S. Army veteran and former paratrooper. He lives in Southeast Louisiana with his two sons and wife.

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