Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against school districts that have defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting government entities, including public schools, from requiring indoor mask wearing.
Abbott on July 29, 2021, amended the first executive order he issued March 13, 2020, related to the state of emergency over the coronavirus. The July order supersedes previous orders and prohibits local governmental entities or officials from imposing mask mandates, among other prohibitions, including requiring vaccination or vaccine passports as terms of employment or to receive service. Failure to comply with the order carries a fine up to $1,000 per violation. “Even though face coverings cannot be mandated by any governmental entity, that does not prevent individuals from wearing one if they choose,” it adds.
