North Carolina Senate passes bill to repeal pandemic-era mask exemptions

North Carolina state senators passed a bill that would undo a COVID-19-era provision allowing for the broad use of masking for health and safety purposes.

Proponents of the bill have argued the provision has been abused by criminals seeking to hide their identities and that, with the end of the pandemic, it is obsolete. The bill passed in the state Senate in a 30-15 vote along party lines, with Republicans favoring the legislation.