Tennessee mulls putting strict rules on school mask mandates

By JONATHAN MATTISE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Newly approved legislation would mean Tennessee schools will have to jump through even more hoops if they want to implement mask mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The strict new rules are part of a sweeping bill Republicans signed off on in the middle of the night over the weekend as they worked to undermine numerous COVID-19 protective measures. Lawmakers were willing to back down on measures targeting private businesses after industry groups balked at mask requirement restrictions. The legislation now goes before GOP Gov. Bill Lee, who has held off on promising he’ll give the bill his signature.