Los Angeles is set to drop the indoor mask mandates for students and teachers alike on March 23, following months of outcry from parents who have been pushing for mask choice on campuses throughout the city. According to a report from Breitbart, the school district will drop the mask mandate, but students will be strongly advised to wear them.
Interestingly, Los Angeles has been one of the final cities in the United States to hold back from axing mask mandates for students. However, as L.A. gears up to roll back its restrictions on face coverings for children, the legislature is working overtime to review a hefty load of proposed vaccine-related bills that would profoundly affect the lives of everyday Californians.
According to a report from CalMatters, there are eight major bills in the California legislature, ranging from mandatory Covid vaccination for children 0 to 17 to attend daycare or school (AB 871) to compulsory vaccination for all employees, including independent contractors, to work in California (AB 1993). Additionally, SB 866 would allow children between the ages of 12 to 17 to receive the Covid vaccine without parental consent.
Although Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., has previously stated that California’s approach to treat Covid would be “endemic” oriented, the mask mandates in the state have dragged on longer than most other states in the Union. Additionally, the proposed legislation in Sacramento is stringent and would violate Californians’ freedom of medical choice if passed.
Further, Gov. Newsom calls the advocacy of vaccines in the Golden State the “SMARTER” plan but has not yet commented on the radical legislation being proposed. According to the Cal Matters report, SB 1464, if passed, would force law enforcement officers to carry out public health orders, effectively weaponizing the entire California police force as a Covid enforcement unit.
While Los Angeles’ rollback on indoor masks is a win for proponents of mask choice for children, Californians and concerned Americans are carefully watching the legislature in Sacramento to see if any vaccine regulations will be passed and implemented.
