The Maryland state board of education voted to lift its school mask mandate Tuesday, joining a nationwide trend of easing restrictions.
Gov. Larry Hogan had sought to convince the state board to lift the mandate in recent weeks, as several Democratic governors across the country had lifted their school mask mandates. The change was approved in a 12-2 vote by the board.
The governor celebrated the board’s decision in a tweet Tuesday, thanking them for “heeding” his call to end the policy.
YOUNGKIN AND CONSERVATIVES CLAIM VINDICATION AS DEMOCRATS BACK OFF MASK MANDATES
“This action aligns with the data and the science, the recommendation of the state superintendent of schools, and the guidance of medical professionals across the country,” Hogan said. “I also want to express my sincere appreciation to all the parents who have spoken out in recent weeks. At a time when Maryland has the lowest COVID-19 metrics in the country, this is a major step for normalcy and the well-being of our students.”
Hogan called on the state General Assembly to “act swiftly to ratify the state board’s decision,” which came after the state’s heavily populated Anne Arundel County, which includes the state capital of Annapolis, had sought to drop its mask mandate for schools.
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State governors in traditionally Democratic states all over the country have moved to drop school mask mandates in recent weeks as the surge in coronavirus cases brought on by the omicron variant has receded. Republican-controlled states largely shied away from implementing mask mandates over the last year, highlighting a sharp partisan divide over the policy.
