Texas Teachers Ask Governor Abbott to Allow Masks in Schools

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) has asked Governor Greg Abbott to leave it up to school districts to decide whether or not to require children to wear masks in school.

KVUE reports that TSTA President Ovidia Molina urged the governor to withdraw his mask mandate prohibition in a statement:

The Texas State Teachers Association calls on Gov. Greg Abbott to withdraw his prohibition on mask mandates and allow individual school districts to require mask use in their facilities if local officials believe masks will help protect the health of their communities as schools reopen for the fall semester…if Gov. Abbott really cares about the health and safety of Texas students, educators and their communities, he will give local school officials and health experts the option of requiring masks in their schools.

Governor Abbott, however, is holding firm on his stance that it us up to the individual to decide whether or not to wear a mask, not the government. The governor is encouraging all eligible Texans to get vaccinated, saying that it’s the most effective defense against contracting the virus.

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Last Wednesday (July 21), Governor Abbott told KPRC radio that many people have immunity through vaccination or contracting COVID-19 and that it would be “inappropriate” to require those who have immunity to wear a mask.

It doesn’t appear the governor is going to reverse course as more and more people are asking the government to once again intervene now that we’re seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases.