Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee advances bill to block COVID-19 mask mandates after tense exchange
Summary
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee approved SB590 by voice vote after sponsor arguments about executive overreach and testimony from a public-health official warning the measure would remove emergency response flexibility and limit mitigation tools. The sponsor said the bill would end current mask directives and bar future COVID-19 mandates until the crisis passes.
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on a voice vote advanced Senate Bill 590, a measure the sponsor said would end the state's COVID-19 mask mandate and bar similar future mandates until the public-health crisis has passed.
Sponsor remarks framed the bill as a response to what he described as an unprecedented consolidation of power in the executive branch during the pandemic. In committee, he said executive orders had closed businesses and imposed fines without legislative input and argued SB590 would restore the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
