Governor Glenn Youngkin has kept his campaign promise and has just signed into law a bill banning forced masking in Virginia’s schools. He wasted no time after the House of Delegates approved the bill and sent it to his desk:
BREAKING: Virginia Gov. Youngkin signs bill banning school mask mandates pic.twitter.com/zUkfxIqIQf
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 16, 2022
Here’s more from The Hill:
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Wednesday signed a bill into law making masks optional in school.
He signed the bill shortly after the state House of Delegates approved the legislation.
The legislation, which takes effect immediately, allows parents to decide if they want their children to wear masks in school instead of Virginia officials implementing mask mandates.
School districts have until March 1 to comply with legislation once it’s signed.
Youngkin campaigned on rescinding mask mandates in public schools and signed an executive order on his first day of office giving parents the ability to choose whether their kid should mask up or not.
His executive order is being challenged in court by school districts and parents of children with disabilities, who say their kids are more at risk of severe illness if they were to get COVID-19.
So much for the challenge to his executive order. Signing this bill into law renders that completely moot, but I’m sure the same schools will challenge this new law as well.
It’s so good to see Virginia with a competent and strong leader for a change.