Attorney General Jeff Landry argued that the statewide mask mandate issued by the Governor does not cover K-12 schools. Instead, he said the only entities that have the authority to issue that kind of mandate are BESE and local school boards.
“This absolutely is between BESE and the local school districts to determine the day-to-day safe and healthy decisions for students in public schools, not the Governor, “ said Landry. “For a year and a half now we have been in a crisis where the Governor believes that he is the boss of everyone. We have a democratically run government, not just a government run by a Democrat Governor.”
Landry contended that under the state’s current constitutional structure the democratically elected school board and BESE members have ultimate authority over school policy.
“Those officials are elected by the people of Louisiana to determine the day-to-day operations of our school system,” said Landry, who added that Edwards may be right about the importance of masking in school, but ultimately this is not his decision to make. “We have heard from hundreds upon hundreds of mothers who are concerned about the effect of masking up their children, they have a voice too.”
Edwards slammed the comments, accusing Landry of sowing confusion ahead of the start of the school year.
“Not only is he wrong, he is going out of his way to undermine public confidence in the basic mitigation measures that will slow transmission at a time that we need it more than ever,” said Edwards. “The fact of the matter is I have the authority and obligation under the current circumstances to declare public health emergencies.”
Edwards speaking at this Friday press conference, said the Attorney General’s legal rationale is flawed and undermined by other situations where emergency declarations impacted school policy.
“If we had a hurricane approaching and I ordered an evacuation from coastal parishes it is not like that order of evacuation would not apply to the schools in those coastal parishes,” said Edwards.
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