Texas Governor Ends Statewide Mask Mandate, Allows All Businesses to Fully Reopen
BY ZACHARY STIEBER March 2, 2021 Updated: March 2, 2021
The governor of Texas on Tuesday ended his statewide mask mandate while allowing all businesses in the state to fully reopen.
“With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus. We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 percent,” Gov. Greg Abbott said during an address to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce at Montelongo’s restaurant.
“Make no mistake, COVID-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations, and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed. Today’s announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year. Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal safety and the safety of others. With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny,” the Republican added.
Abbott signed an order in July 2020 requiring masks be worn in public spaces in most counties, with some exceptions, including for those younger than 10 years of age.
“Wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19,” he said at the time.
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
Texas is one of the most populous states in America, with nearly 29 million residents.
Abbott on Tuesday said nearly 2.5 million Texans have been confirmed through laboratory testing to have recovered from COVID-19, and that health officials say the real number of recoveries is typically four to five times the number of those who officially tested positive and recovered.
“Mathematically, what that means is that approximately 10 million Texans—or really more—have recovered from COVID and have the proven ability to beat the disease,” he said.
Epoch Times Photo A customer exits a store with a mask required sign displayed in Dallas, Texas on March 2, 2021. (LM Otero/AP Photo) In addition, more than 5.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, and the number of doses available is expected to ramp up in the near future with the recent approval of Johnson & Johnson’s shot.
“Now all of these advancements and events have led to remarkable improvements. Hospitalizations are the lowest that they have been in four months. The number of active COVID cases is the lowest since November, and is less than half of what it was just a month ago. That means that far more Texans are recovering from COVID than contracting it. Also, today is the lowest positivity rate we’ve had in four months,” he said in Lubbock.
Abbott’s new order states that if COVID-19 hospitalizations in any of the 22 hospital regions in Texas rise above 15 percent of bed capacity in that region for seven consecutive days, then a county judge may use different strategies to address the situation. He said he doesn’t think the threshold will be met.
Texas is one of a growing number of states loosening restrictions as the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths drop across the nation.
But Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, said Monday that she was worried about states rolling back restrictions.
“Please hear me clearly: At this level of cases, with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained. These variants are a very real threat to our people and our progress. Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close,” she said.
Don't be lulled into thinking this is over. It's not. Abbott leaves the door open for local authorities and in particular businesses to continue on with this nonsense. This last year has shown us just how bad this emergency powers law is, passed but Dem supermajorities and a Dem governor back in 1975. We finally have the legislature in session, and it doesn't look like they are going to do a damn thing about this. Call your legislators today. Start with insisting they support these five bills HB 2196, 1406 2097, 2098 and SB 18. These are some of the most important bills that may have ever come before the legislature. We need this now more than ever. There are a long list of constitutional amendments on the table as well, for example allowing the legislature call itself into session.
HB2196 eliminates the power of the Governor to suspend laws under emergency powers. The Democrats passed an unconstitutional law granting these emergency powers in 1975 with super majorities and a democrat governor. It specifically violates Article 1 sec. 28 of the Texas constitution. You know, after the last dictator Republican Governor Davis ran roughshod over the state with martial law, suspending habeus corpus, imprisoning his political opposition, and refusing to leave office after he lost the election. He was finally removed from the capital at gunpoint in 1873. We amended the constitution in 1875 to fix that.
HB 2196 eliminates this democrat abomination from 1975. It stops Abbott from any further abuses. My representatives tell me this bill will likely get no Democratic support as they wait with baited breath for their next opportunity to "elect"/appoint a governor after the precedence that Abbott has set. Please support this bill with everything you have. We will likely need a 2/3 majority to pass it unless we bring Abbott to his knees and force him to sign it. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02196I.htm
HB1406 codes into law the power of the people to redress abuses of emergency powers in the courts by specifically defining standing for every citizen. I have been told that all of the lawsuits challenging Abbott's abuses have been dismissed on standing. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB01406I.htm
HB 2097 Prevents the governor AND nd local authorities from mandating masks https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/pdf/HB02097I.pdf#navpanes=0. We need to add to that bill in the Senate to include private businesses.
HB 2098 Prevents the governor and local authorities from defining penalties for violating emergency rules. The governor shouldn't be the sole source to define laws, penalties, and then execute those penalties against the people. It's a separation of powers issue. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB02098I.htm
SB 18 Prevents the governor and local authorities from regulating firearms, ammunition, and firearm related business under emergency powers. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00018I.htm
Based upon the precedence set by Abbott, here is where we stand in Texas. The governor can wait until immediately after a legislative session. Then he declares another bogus emergency. (Did you know we're still under emergency from Harvey?)
Let's say it's a climate change emergency this time! With that, we've seen that he then has virtually unlimited power to dictate and suspend laws and penalties up to and including stripping away all our most fundamental rights. The legislature can't assemble to check that power for two years. Even then at best, they can only pass bills that the governor won't sign. They'll need a 2/3 majority to override his veto.
So, the Governor legislates unconstitutional laws, sets penalties and enforces them, suspends laws, suspends our most fundamental rights, and the people need a 2/3 majority in the legislature to override him, two years later. Oh, and we have no standing to seek redress in the courts. That's the kind of government we have in Texas. Do everything you can to support these bills. If you thought Abbott was bad, and that this Covid nonsense is over wait until the next time the democrats come back into power.
Should have never happened in the first place.