Republican lawmakers ask Gov. Inslee to reconsider K-12 mask mandate
Aug 10, 2021, 5:39 PM
First grade students load onto the bus after a day of classes at the Green Mountain School in Woodland, Washington. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
(Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Several Washington Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to the governor, asking him to reconsider his statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools.
Per state guidance, masks will be required for all K-12 students and school employees this fall. Schools will be able to offer in-person learning at this point with three feet of physical distance in classrooms.
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Eastern Washington Representative Mary Dye signed on to the letter, telling KTTH’s Jason Rantz Show that the decision to mask up should be left to parents and local school boards.
“They are feeling very much pressure from the state that they have to enforce it, that there could be penalties. So the parents just feel like this is another step up of state control over their local schools,” Dye said.
The members of the Washington State House Republican Caucus who signed onto the letter were led by Rep. Joe Schmick, their health care leader. He, too, urged the governor to give more weight to local control and parental input. He released the following statement:
Local school boards, with ample input from parents, should partner with local health departments in making these types of decisions. They are able to make the best decisions based on the numbers they’re seeing in their areas while taking into account the priorities of each community.
The one-size-fits-all mandate that we’re seeing emanating from Olympia does not fit the needs and desires of all school districts, especially those in small communities like Endicott and Garfield.
I urge the governor to reconsider his mandate requiring students, teachers, and school personnel in all school districts across the state to wear masks.
Washington is one of a handful of states requiring face coverings in school, regardless of vaccination status. State health officials say that’s because a majority of kids have not received the COVID vaccine.
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Read the full letter from the lawmakers here.
The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.
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