Governor rejects request from El Paso’s Margo, other Texas mayors to impose face mask rules
EL PASO, Texas -- A request from the mayors of El Paso and eight other big Texas cities for the "authority to set rules and regulations" mandating face masks during the coronavirus pandemic is being rejected by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
The request was made in a letter from the mayors to the governor on Tuesday. (You can read the entire letter at the bottom of this article.)
An executive order from Abbott currently bans local governments from imposing fines or criminal penalties on people who don't wear masks in public. The letter had asked him to consider allowing each city's local officials to decide whether to require the use of a face covering in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
The governor's spokesman, John Wittman, told ABC-7 on Tuesday evening that Abbott doesn't believe state or local governments should be in the role of mandating face masks and punishing residents for not complying.
Wittman said local officials wanting to slow the spread of the virus have other tools at their disposal. For example, while they can't impose fines related to masks, they can fine businesses or individuals for violating rules on mass gatherings or capacity limits, he said.
As Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to climb in Texas, the mayors said in their letter that many people in their cities continue to refuse to wear face masks and that "a one-size-fits-all approach is not the best option" when it comes to regulating the issue.
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo expressed disappointment Tuesday evening at the governor's decision to not take a stronger stand on requiring face masks. He told ABC-7 that some businesses in El Paso were hoping for backup from local officials in order to require customers to wear masks.
The request letter to the governor was signed by Margo as well as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere and Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen.
"We think you would agree that a healthy economy starts with healthy people," the letter states. "If you do not have plans to mandate face coverings statewide, we ask that you restore the ability for local authorities to enforce the wearing of face coverings in public venues where physical distancing cannot be practiced."
Abbott has continued to encourage Texans to wear masks, but in a news conference earlier Tuesday he balked once again at the idea of imposing penalties on people who don't.
"I make clear on a daily basis around the entire state of Texas that wearing a mask is very important, and local officials send that message," he said. "Putting people in jail, however, is the wrong approach for this thing."
