Virginia’s General Assembly moved swiftly to put the final legislative touches on a bill that bans local school systems from imposing mask mandates on students.
The legislature had passed the bill on Monday; Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin then amended it to add an emergency clause so that it could take effect before the typical July 1 enactment date for new legislation.
On Wednesday, the House of Delegates voted to accept the governor's amendments, which was the final step necessary for passage. Youngkin signed the amended bill a few hours later. Surrounded by dozens of children and adults on the steps of the capitol, Youngkin said he was standing up for the right of parents to make decisions for their children. "But we are also reestablishing our expectations that we will get back to normal, and this is the path. This is the path."
Under the amendments, local systems must allow students to opt out of mask mandates beginning March 1.
Delegate Marcus Simon is a Democrat from Fairfax County who says that's a mistake.
"These amendments don't make this bill better. They make it worse. They make it more difficult to comply with," Simon says. "This has been a rush to get the governor a much-needed political win. This is bad policy, poorly executed and in violation of the Constitution of Virginia."
Ending mask mandates in schools was a campaign promise for the governor, and now – with the help of Senate Democrats who voted with Republicans – he’s been able to deliver.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
