© Provided by Associated Press Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives his State of the Commonwealth speech to the Joint Assembly inside the House of Delegates Chamber at the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s new Republican governor was facing pushback from Democratic lawmakers, school districts and a group of parents who sued him Tuesday over an executive order that aims to create an opt-out for classroom mask mandates.
the latest tech news, global tech news daily, tech news today, startups, usa tech, asia tech, china tech, eu tech, global tech, in-depth electronics reviews, 24h tech news, 24h tech news, top mobile apps, tech news daily, gaming hardware, big tech news, useful technology tips, expert interviews, reporting on the business of technology, venture capital funding, programing languageThe order issued Saturday and set to take effect Monday was among Glenn Youngkin’s first acts after he was sworn in as Virginia’s 74th governor. The move both fulfilled a campaign pledge and inserted Youngkin, a political newcomer working with a divided legislature, into a divisive issue that’s generated controversy and legal challenges in other states around the country.
© Provided by Associated Press Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, arrives at her desk in the Virginia Senate at the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Global Tech News Daily Youngkin’s order said the parents of any child in elementary or secondary schools or a school-based early childcare or educational program “may elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate.”
In part because of a state law passed last year on a bipartisan basis dealing with classrooms and pandemic policies, school districts in many of the state’s most populous localities have since told parents they planned to keep existing mask mandates in place, at least temporarily.
Global Tech News DailyThe 2021 law says each Virginia school board is required to offer in-person instruction that adheres “to the maximum extent practicable” to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC currently recommends universal masking by anyone 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status.
© Provided by Associated Press Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, makes a point during a news conference as Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, left, looks on in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. House and Senate Democrats talked about Governor Glenn Youngkin’s threat to use official state resources to defund Virginia schools after school divisions across the Commonwealth rejected the Governor’s illegal executive order eliminating mask requirements in schools as COVID-19 cases surge. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Many districts — from Charlottesville to Richmond to Arlington — cited that law in public statements notifying families that they had no plans to immediately change their masking rules. Others said they were reviewing the guidance or waiting for further clarity from the state, while at least two, King George County and Louisa County, announced plans to comply.
On Tuesday, a group of parents with children enrolled in Chesapeake Public Schools sued the governor and members of his administration in the Supreme Court of Virginia, arguing in part that the executive order was in violation of the state law.
The petitioners urged the justices to act quickly.
“Petitioners have no adequate remedy at law and no time to spare. They and their children are likely to suffer irreparable harm and damage if this Court declines to grant immediate relief,” they wrote.
A spokesperson for Youngkin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or other questions from The Associated Press.
Youngkin, who is an advocate of vaccination efforts but campaigned against mask and vaccine mandates, recently said he would “use every resource within the governor’s authority” to ensure parents have the ability to choose whether their children wear masks. He also ended a vaccinate-or-test mandate for the state workforce through an executive order on Saturday.
Democrats accused him of overstepping his authority on the mask order, ignoring the state law and attempting to bully local school districts.
“I’m disappointed that, you know, right out of the gate we’re focused on culture wars rather than the goals of educating children,” said Democratic Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, a public school teacher.
University of Richmond law professor Jack Preis said a parent or school district would have a strong argument that the order violates the state law.
“State law trumps an executive order, no doubt,” said Preis, who has taught courses on legislative and administrative law.
“If he wants to give parents the right to opt out of mask rules, he needs to change the statute, and that starts with the legislature,” Preis said.
But some Republicans have made the argument that the state law does not mandate masks. Among them was state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, a physician who played a key role in negotiating the bill, which also mandated in-person instruction. Dunnavant said this week that the law doesn’t mandate masks because the CDC does not mandate masks — it only recommends them.
Youngkin’s order says masks “inhibit the ability of children to communicate, delay language development, and impede the growth of emotional and social skills.”
The order also said many children are wearing “ineffective” cloth masks. U.S. health officials recently encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health care workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics weighed in on the issue, continuing to recommend that children wear a well-fitting face mask while attending school, regardless of vaccination status.
“Face masks remain safe and reliable, and children have demonstrated their ability to wear them effectively,” the group said in a statement.
Most states let schools decide their own mask policies, but several Republican-led states have moved to forbid mask requirements in public schools. Such bans remain in effect in states including Florida, Texas and Utah, while some others have been rejected by courts or face ongoing legal battles.
Debate over masks has intensified as schools struggle to contain the omicron variant, which has been blamed for forcing hundreds of schools across the U.S. to return to remote learning.
The highly contagious variant has also led some districts to reinstate mask policies that had previously been rolled back.
____
Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; and Collin Binkley in Boston contributed to this report.
News Related
-
ATLANTA — Attorneys for Young Thug, who was arrested this week under an indictment accusing him of co-founding a violent street gang, filed an emergency motion Friday seeking bond for the Atlanta rapper, calling his confinement “inhumane.” The performer, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was arrested Monday at ...
See Details:
Motion seeks bond for jailed rapper Young Thug, reports say
-
-
ATLANTA (AP) — Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning off reliever Will Smith, Wil Myers went deep in the sixth against Max Fried and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 11-6 on Friday night. Kim homered for the fourth time after Eric Hosmer and ...
See Details:
Kim, Myers lead Padres' hit barrage in 11-6 win over Braves
-
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nick Pivetta allowed a run and three hits in a season-long seven innings to win for the first time since August and the Boston Red Sox had a four-run sixth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night. J.D. Martinez began Boston’s big inning ...
See Details:
Pivetta ends streak, Martinez extends his in Red Sox victory
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the wrong side of a comeback effort this time, the Florida Panthers rebounded in overtime and made sure they wouldn’t need to go home to finish their first-round series. Carter Verhaeghe scored the OT winner to send the Panthers to the second round by beating the ...
See Details:
Panthers beat Caps in OT, win 1st playoff series since 1996
-
-
DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera doubled and homered to help the slumping Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2) pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and walking four as the Tigers won for just the second time in 11 games. The Orioles ...
See Details:
Cabrera leads Tigers to 4-2 win over Orioles
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
Arike Ogunbowale, Wings rally to beat Mystics 94-86
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
Tatum's huge effort helps Celtics win 108-95 to force Game 7
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
Kelsey Mitchell, Fever outlast Liberty 92-86 in overtime
-
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
France leads M's over Mets in their 1st Citi Field game
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
Baby formula shortage fuels interest in milk banks
-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. Ogunbowale took over after Dallas (1-1) fell behind 38-23 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. She hit three straight ...
See Details:
Lowe, Margot help Rays hand Blue Jays 5th straight loss
OTHER NEWS
PITTSBURGH — How many times can the New York Rangers dig themselves into a hole and climb back out? At least one more, as of Friday night. The Blueshirts came ...
Read more »
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 15 points, Kelsey Plum had 14 points and 11 assists and the Las Vegas Aces rolled to a 96-73 victory over the ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Mike Anglen of Turner, Ore., center, stands atop a cliff as Sgt. Bryan Wallace of Pikin, Ill., waits for his turn before ...
Read more »
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jose Altuve homered on the first pitch of the game, Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel also went deep and the Houston Astros extended their winning streak to ...
Read more »
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Kreider’s long slap shot bounced over Louis Domingue and into the net with 1:28 left and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on ...
Read more »
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jose Altuve homered on the first pitch of the game, and Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel also went deep to help the Houston Astros extend their winning ...
Read more »
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Moustakas homered twice and Brandon Drury drove in four runs to break out of a slump and lead the resurgent Cincinnati Reds to an 8-2 victory ...
Read more »
MIAMI (AP) — Jace Peterson walked against Anthony Bender with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 2-1 Friday night. After starters ...
Read more »
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres say no cancer was found when manager Bob Melvin had prostate surgery on Wednesday. Melvin, 60, was recovering at home Friday after ...
Read more »
WASHINGTON (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points, Allisha Gray had 21 and the Dallas Wings overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 94-86 on Friday night. ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – North Dakota Sen. Ray Holmberg listens during a joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee meeting at the Capitol in Bismarck, N.D., on Jan. 7, 2009. Holmberg, ...
Read more »
A California county known for its spectacular mountains and proximity to Yosemite National Park has been paying the nation’s highest gas prices.
Read more »
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Bruce Boudreau will return as coach of the Vancouver Canucks next season after helping to turn the struggling NHL club around as a midyear replacement. ...
Read more »
On Location: May 13, 2022 Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.The Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested positive for COVID-19 ...
Read more »
Highlights of this day in history: Colonists go ashore in Virginia to set up Jamestown; Lewis and Clark begin to explore Louisiana Territory; Israel founded; Skylab launched; Movie producer George ...
Read more »
Musk is awaiting details supporting calculations that spam, fake accounts represent less than 5% of Twitter's users
Read more »
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres say no cancer was found when manager Bob Melvin had prostate surgery on Wednesday. Melvin, 60, was recovering at home Friday after ...
Read more »
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City recently finished a major renovation of its exhibition on the native peoples of the northwest coast of North America. Curators ...
Read more »
A woman who disappeared in a beach community on New York’s Long Island more than a decade ago, sparking an investigation into a possible serial killer, said “there’s somebody after ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – Oscar statue on the red carpet at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Next year’s Academy Awards will ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – Fred Ward, a cast member in “30 Minutes or Less,” poses at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles on Aug. 8, 2011. Ward, a ...
Read more »
NEW YORK — A Colorado judge on Friday denied motions to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by an election systems worker against former President Donald Trump’s campaign, two of its ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – Becky G appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. Beck G’s latest album is “Esquemas.” (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) NEW YORK ...
Read more »
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea reports 21 new deaths as it battles COVID-19 outbreak.
Read more »
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says 21 people died and 174,440 people were newly found with fever symptoms on Friday alone as the country scrambles to slow the spread ...
Read more »
The Chicago White Sox placed ace Lucas Giolito on the COVID-19 injured list and activated outfielder Andrew Vaughn following a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. Giolito began experiencing ...
Read more »
NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Ford has learned to travel light — and quickly. Since the start of the season, the 29-year-old first baseman has played for Tacoma, San Francisco ...
Read more »
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from California on Friday. (May 13)
Read more »
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Boston forward/center Robert Williams missed his third straight game with an injured left knee as the Celtics tried to keep their season alive Friday night in Game ...
Read more »
ATLANTA (AP) — The San Diego Padres have signed veteran second baseman Robinson Canó to a major league contract and plan to use him as a left-handed bat off the ...
Read more »
The lawyer for WNBA star Brittney Griner says her pre-trial detention in Russia has been extended by one month. Alexander Boykov told The Associated Press the relatively short extension indicated ...
Read more »
Hundreds of thousands of Americans fighting long-haul symptoms from COVID-19 Dr. David Putrino from Mount Sinai Health System and COVID long-hauler Joel Fram discuss the long-term effects of the disease.The ...
Read more »
The Associated PressFILE – This Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, photo shows radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at Capitol Hill in Washington. The Sandy Hook families’ lawsuits against ...
Read more »
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant took swings in the cage Friday for the first time since he was sidelined with a sore back nearly three weeks ago ...
Read more »
NEW YORK (AP) — Rather than make his Citi Field debut against the team that traded him, Jarred Kelenic was demoted to Triple-A Tacoma by the Seattle Mariners on Friday ...
Read more »
Looking to strengthen ties, President Joe Biden welcomes leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to Washington for the first time. “We’re launching a new era in U.S.-ASEAN relations,” ...
Read more »
Phil Mickelson caught lightning in a bottle last year at Kiawah Island, winning a major championship at 50 years of age. The fairways flooded, and the golf world stood and ...
Read more »
The Tennessee Titans didn’t take issue with Ryan Tannehill’s comments about mentoring third-round rookie Malik Willis. Willis and coach Mike Vrabel were asked about Tannehill’s scrutinized remarks following the first ...
Read more »
Lawyers for 26 passengers said Friday they told Lufthansa that they will sue the German airline for refusing to let members of a large group of Orthodox Jewish passengers board ...
Read more »
While the Minnesota Wild were stacking up franchise records and securing the extra home game for the first round, general manager Bill Guerin carefully acknowledged a “great year” for the ...
Read more »