On Friday, local Democratic officials from across Texas lambasted Gov. Greg Abbott and other state Republicans, saying they鈥檙e playing politics and risking lives.
At a virtual news conference, officials from four of the state鈥檚 largest counties, four cities, and two school districts joined labor leaders in arguing that the governor鈥檚 order blocking local officials from requiring masks has endangered Texans.
The number of children in Texas hospitalized with COVID-19 is at one of the seen since the pandemic began, a worrying trend as students head back to school.
In the 19-county North Texas region around Dallas and Fort Worth, there were on Thursday evening to treat children with the most serious illness and injury.
鈥淵our child will [have to] wait for another child to die, your child will just not get on a ventilator, [or] your child will be care-flighted to Temple or Oklahoma City, or wherever we can find them a bed,鈥� Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said.
A spokesperson for Cook Children鈥檚 in Fort Worth CBS DFW on Thursday afternoon that the hospital was not yet forced to send ICU patients to other hospitals, but that it would 鈥渋f the situation arises where we cannot accommodate a patient at our hospital.鈥�
Infectious disease experts say a combination of masks, social distancing and vaccinations is the most effective strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Children under 12 years old are particularly vulnerable right now, because they are not eligible to receive coronavirus vaccinations.
Jenkins also blamed the governor for a shortage of doctors and nurses to staff hospitals, saying Abbott failed to continue funding for additional temporary hospital staffers. Earlier this week, the governor new funding to hire out-of-state health professionals.
The Fight Over Mask Mandates
Abbott barring local governments from requiring people to wear masks in public settings in late July.
Local leaders in some of Texas鈥� largest counties and school districts have requiring masks, openly violating the governor鈥檚 order.
That鈥檚 set off a, with Democratic local officials notching early court victories in defense of mask mandates, and state Republicans appealing to higher courts to defend the governor鈥檚 ability to limit what actions local governments can take to fight a public health emergency.
Any school district, public university, or local government official that decides to defy GA-38鈥攚hich prohibits gov't entities from mandating masks鈥攚ill be taken to court.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX)
The path forward relies on personal responsibility鈥攏ot government mandates.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said Abbott鈥檚 directive is an abuse of the Texas Disaster Act.
Under the act, the governor can bypass or suspend local laws to respond to a crisis. But
Menefee said the governor had essentially turned the logic behind the Disaster Act on its head.
鈥淗e鈥檚 using that law now to do nothing more than to say, 鈥榤y view of people鈥檚 constitutional rights is that they should not have to wear masks, and therefore, I鈥檓 going to use this law to suspend any other law you might use to keep people safe.鈥欌�� Menefee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 wrong, it鈥檚 likely unconstitutional, and I will say, it鈥檚 a very scary time.鈥�
Abbott has added an item to the special session agenda that would codify into state law his order banning local governments from enacting such mandates. The Senate passed a version of the legislation on Thursday. The local leaders urged lawmakers against passing such legislation.
Meanwhile, more cities, school boards and county governments are openly defying the governor鈥檚 ban on mask mandates.
On Thursday, the Denton City Council held an emergency meeting to in the city. Council member Deb Armintor characterized the move as both essential for public safety, and also an act of solidarity with other local leaders.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e going to come after you, they鈥檒l come after us too, and we are stronger together in numbers,鈥� she said.
The fight over whether a government has the authority to require people to wear masks will likely land in the state鈥檚 supreme court. All eight sitting justices are Republicans.
In the meantime, Democratic leaders say they鈥檒l continue to require masking as long as they鈥檙e able to.
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