Good morning, 

As the state Legislature continues its third special session of the year, children in some school districts across the state are being forced to wear masks.

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Brandon Waltens 

Monday, September 27, 2021
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• The fight over forcing kids to wear face coverings in schools began last year when Gov. Greg Abbott decreed executive orders imposing mask mandates across the state in response to the Chinese coronavirus. However in May, and again in July, he issued new orders canceling his mask mandate and decreeing that local government officials—including school districts—are now not allowed to force masks on citizens.
   

• However, last month, local officials across Texas began disregarding Abbott’s orders and re-imposing their own local mask requirements. In particular, a growing wave of school district officials began enforcing the old mask mandates on students, despite contrary health data and experts warning against forcibly masking children(with organizations such as the Irish Health Authority even calling it “child abuse”).
   

• The feud between Abbott and local officials led to ongoing court battles, leaving Texans confused and guessing about the authority and effects of their various officials’ directives.
   

• In August, Abbott added the issue to the Legislature’s second summer session, requesting “legislation providing strategies for public-school education in prekindergarten through twelfth grade during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ensures: the wearing of face coverings is not mandatory.” However, the Republican-controlled state Legislature chose not to deal with the issue.

• Furthermore, lawmakers could have clarified this whole problem months ago during their regular session by enacting a state law to stop mask mandates. Instead, they declined to act.
   
• When the third special session was called, the issue of school mask mandates was missing altogether. 
   
• Meanwhile in Michigan, Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to sign a state budget that bans health officials from enforcing mask mandates in schools. 
   
• Abbott could still add the issue to the agenda for the third special session, which is 7 days into its 30-day maximum length.

• One mandate issue that is partially on the special session call is that of vaccine mandates. Specifically the language states: “Legislation regarding whether any state or local governmental entities in Texas can mandate that an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine and, if so, what exemptions should apply to such mandate.”
   
• Concern has been raised by some over whether this language would apply to federal COVID vaccine mandates coming from President Joe Biden. Others have expressed concern it would not apply to employer mandates.
   

• In a new special video presented by Texas Scorecard, Jackie Schlegel, the executive director of Texans for Vaccine Choice, describes the state of the battle for informed consent and medical privacy in Texas, and the importance of joining together to push back.

• “You don’t have the right to work if you don’t get this vaccine. You don’t have the right to access your community or your livelihood if you don’t get this vaccine. That is indeed a mandate. Make no mistake, the next step in this administration is to force each and every one of you … to pit neighbor against neighbor if you do not comply with getting this vaccine.” –Jackie Schlegel

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