Texas Governor Exempts Religious Schools, Services From Statewide Mask Mandate
Artivia Tahir
Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) has issued a statewide face mask mandate for his state, with a few notable exceptions, according to Friendly Atheist.
- Private schools and religious services are exempt from the mandate, for reasons that were not explained by the governor.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton justified the move by citing the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, claiming that enforcing the rule on churches and religious schools would be a legal violation.
- The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking that the mandate be extended to religious services. FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said:
“Texas deserves a bad bill of health until it lifts this exemption. The exception that state officials are making based on religious pandering could end up harming a whole lot of Texans.”
