A Washington barber reopened his business Saturday despite the state’s stay-at-home orders, citing his “constitutional right.”
A long line of customers formed outside of Stag Barber and Styling in Snohomish, Washington, over the weekend after owner Bob Martin made the decision to open despite the state’s stay-at-home order recently being extended by Gov. Jay Inslee until the end of May, according to KIRO 7 News.
“I stand by that. … It’s our constitutional right to do what we’re doing to maintain a livelihood,” Martin said. “They don’t have the authority to take that away from us.”
“More people need to go back to work and stand up to the government.”
[Related: ‘It’s our constitutional right’: Washington barbershop opens doors in defiance of lockdown orders]
Martin added that money was only one factor in his decision and said he was partially motivated by the local sheriff’s decision not to enforce the virus restrictions, which he felt gave him the “green light” to open.
“They’ve gone way too far already,” said Martin. “We’re not going to let it happen.”
Inslee, a Democrat, said he is aware of Martin’s decision and hinted that the business could be punished by the Department of Licensing.
“Over the weekend, the state received 140 complaints from residents about this business,” Inslee’s office said in a statement. “It has been referred to the Department of Licensing, which will be reviewing the complaints for action, including contact with the business and further enforcement as necessary.”
Similar situations are unfolding across the country as business owners find themselves no longer able to stay closed.
A Texas hair salon owner was sentenced to seven days in jail and a $3,000 fine for opening her business in a move she said was due to needing to feed her children.
A restaurant owner in Maine was stripped of his health and liquor licenses by the state after defying lockdown orders to open his doors to a line of people that stretched around the corner.
