The laws Bertelsman draws on in his decision are themselves currently blocked. The Oswalds claim Beshear violated their First Amendment right to freedom of religion when he instituted the mandate. “Thankfully, while we disagree with the plaintiffs in the case, they have agreed that the order should be narrowed to only apply to their diocese and no others schools,” Beshear’s spokesperson Crystal Staley wrote in an email.Ī separate mask mandate from the Kentucky Department of Education means masks are still required in public schools.īertelsman sided with two Northern Kentucky parents, Jason and Karen Oswald, whose children attend St. The ruling could mean private schools will not have to require masks, though a statement from the governor’s office suggests the ruling will only apply to Archdiocese of Covington, where the plaintiffs’ children attend school. Therein lies tyranny,” Judge William Bertelsman wrote in his opinion. “The Executive Branch cannot simply ignore laws passed by the duly-elected representatives of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Andy Beshear’s mask mandate for K-12 schools Thursday, saying the executive order violates laws passed by the General Assembly this spring that limited the governor’s emergency powers. Some 1,371 Kentuckians are hospitalized with COVID-19, up 44 from Wednesday.A federal judge temporarily blocked Gov. The test positivity rate rose slight from 11.22% to 11.57%. Kentucky reported 2,713 coronavirus cases and six new virus-related deaths on Thursday. That means they’re sowing at least misinformation or confusion.” None of them are talking about hospitalizations, and none of them, when they get a microphone, are saying ’please. “None of them are talking about how serious the delta variant is.

“Those that are criticizing, none of them talk about how serious the virus is,” he said. It’s life or death.”īut he also responded aggressively to Republican criticism of his schoolhouse mask order. “That doesn’t help us, right?” the governor said.

The governor bemoaned the divisiveness of the masking issue, saying so much of the media coverage has turned into: “’Andy Beshear says this, but Republican leader Y says that.’” “If he wins, we’re having a statewide chicken pox party,” Beshear said of Cameron’s effort to block the masking order. Virus-related cases and hospitalizations are rising among children because of the delta variant. Without masks, children too young to receive the vaccine would be defenseless, he said. It continued Cameron’s efforts to invalidate the governor’s virus-related actions.īeshear said mask wearing is needed to try to prevent virus outbreaks that would close schools. The attorney general called the order an “unlawful exercise of power” and challenged it in the state’s Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the governor pushed back at Cameron’s attempt to block his masking executive order. The board indicated it would convene a special meeting to withdraw or amend the regulation based on changes in guidance from state and national public health officials. “They stood up for the safety of kids,” Beshear said. The regulation could potentially extend until next spring if the COVID-19 outbreak doesn’t improve. The board approved the mask regulation for public schools. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Board of Education weighed in on the polarizing issue Thursday. Several dozen districts took the action to require masking up in schools without a state mandate. “I think you’ll be held accountable.”īeshear said he waited until this week to sign the masking order because he wanted to give local school leaders the “chance to do the right thing.” Many districts opened the academic year this week. “When someone gets hurt, and they will, if you’re refusing to do the right thing, good luck,” Beshear said. He said a refusal to comply would ignore recommendations from public health officials, his executive order and the regulation approved Thursday by the Kentucky Board of Education. “Those that are trying to find a way out, just remember you’re facing the same COVID as everybody else.” “Every school system, you need to be following this,” the governor said at a news conference. Grumbling about the mandate has surfaced in some districts. Beshear’s mask mandate is being challenged by Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. His executive action came after some Kentucky school districts left it up to parents to decide whether their children should mask up.

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