The Georgia House passed a bill Friday that would prevent schools from enforcing mask mandates.
The “Unmask Georgia Students Act” says schools could still mandate masks but would have to let parents decide whether to exempt their children. The measure would be in effect through June 2027.
Sen. Clint Dixon, the Buford Republican who carried Senate Bill 514, has said passage wouldn’t stop schools from mandating masks despite that ban on enforcement.
To Democrats that makes no sense.
“To me, if they can opt out, it’s not a mandate,” Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, said at a committee hearing on the bill in late February.
The vote was 93-52.
A Democrat motioned for reconsideration Monday. If the majority Republicans kill the motion, it will go to the desk of Gov. Brian Kemp, who stood alongside Dixon in February in announcing the legislation. It would take effect immediately should he sign it.
If the measure becomes law, the governor will be the only person who can require that everyone wear a mask in schools, using executive authority in a state of emergency.
Dixon and other Republican senators have contended that the pandemic is no longer a threat and that masks are ineffective in any case.
But in early March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study showing that transmission of the virus in schools overall was 23% lower in districts with full mask mandates than in districts without mask mandates. The agency dropped its recommendation for universal masking in schools in late February, except in areas where COVID-19 was straining hospitals.
In metro Atlanta, Clayton County is the only school district still mandating masks in buildings and on buses. Late Friday, Superintendent Morcease Beasley released a statement about the new legislation.
“While we still feel that Clayton County needs to have a higher vaccination rate, especially in light of a potential surge in cases due to the new variation of the Omicron strain, we will adhere to the law enacted by the Georgia General Assembly and when signed by Governor Brian Kemp,” the statement said.
On the House floor Friday, Republicans said the risk of learning loss for children who can’t see the teacher’s mouth is a concern.
“You can learn a lot from someone’s eyes,” said Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome. “But that mouth, that smile, that emotional impact has been missing in many a child’s life.”
Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, an emergency physician, said COVID-19 has been “an incredibly mild illness” for children. He said parents should decide whether to mask their kids.
Democrats said the legislation would deprive schools of a crucial defense. If another coronavirus surge happens, their only option would be to move to virtual classes.
Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn, said public health is a communal responsibility.
“When you share a space with others, you also share the air in that space,” she said. “Opting out of that responsibility puts others in harm’s way.”
Rep. Rebecca Mitchell, D-Snellville, an epidemiologist, called claims that masks inhibit learning “propaganda” and “misinformation.”
Passage comes amid concerns about the rise of a new variant of COVID-19 and pushback from parents of children with health conditions.
A federal judge in Virginia recently granted a portion of an injunction sought by parents against an executive order and new state law allowing a similar opt out. The parents had argued that the mask-optional policy effectively excluded some children with disabilities from public school.
The judge’s order was limited to the dozen schools attended by the plaintiffs, but some saw it as a template for more lawsuits.
About the Author
