Friend --

While Glenn Youngkin may have campaigned as a "sane" Republican, we were raising the alarm that he was a Trump extremist in a Patagonia vest - and our fears have been validated from his very first day in office:

Do not be fooled by Glenn. These are not attempts to "defend individual liberty" - these are attacks on our public health and safety, misleading the public and denying common-sense, scientifically supported attempts to rein in a pandemic that has already infected 1.42 million Virginians and killed almost 16,000 across our Commonwealth. That's why we are asking you to take a stand and sign our petition to tell Glenn Youngkin and the VA GOP: Keep Masking in Schools! 

A simple reading of Virginia law makes it clear that the Governor doesn't have the power to end mask mandates in schools - those decisions are left to School Boards and local government. But Republicans are threatening to withold school funding from communities that refused to comply with his ridiculous orders (what ever happened to local control of schools and government?). Thankfully, Fairfax and Prince William Counties have already declared that they will not move backwards and risk the health of their students, teachers, and staff by continuing to require masking - but communities in other areas will not be so lucky. So please, sign our petition and tell our fearmongering, anti-science VA Governor to protect our communities and keep the mask mandate in our  schools! 

Students, parents, teachers, and faculty are already making their stand online, at school board meetings, and with their legislators to make it clear that they believe in science, public health, common decency - and masking in schools. Sign our petition today and join them, because we will win this fight together. 

Thanks for your signature and support.

-- Team Connolly