Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Kemp said he supports legislation giving parents the right to decide if their children should wear masks in school. Plus, a conservative voter mobilization group launches a campaign to expand Sunday voting in rural areas of the state.
Monday's ruling that overturned the mandate caused confusion, with some school administrators quickly announcing masks would be optional and others continuing to enforce wearing them.
Nine states have active mask mandates, even as the new variant is quickly moving in on the U.S. Despite their political unpopularity, research shows masks still work and could save lives.
One professor at Kennesaw State University says he was not allowed to switch to online classes after the majority of students chose not to wear masks despite rising cases of COVID-19.
Thursday on Political Rewind: State Republicans in the General Assembly are urging the governor to issue an order forbidding schools from imposing mask mandates for students and staff. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has answered critics within his own party who accused him of failing to take action as a moratorium on evictions expired late last week.
Athens-Clarke County joined Savannah and Atlanta in reinstating COVID-19 restrictions late Tuesday night amid increasing concerns over the delta variant and lagging vaccination rates. The order went into effect Wednesday morning.
Top Georgia public health experts raised the alarm Wednesday over the state’s low vaccination rates and the continued politicization of mask wearing, with one official saying it is a “recipe for outbreaks” around the state.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Voting rights advocates remain concerned Republican legislators are angling to use Georgia’s new voting law to take over operation of Fulton County elections. However, critics of past chaos in the county’s elections say change is needed. Meanwhile, as cases of COVID-19 propelled by the dangerous delta variant spread in the state, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has once again issued a mask mandate for the city.
Savannah is once again requiring masks in indoor public places and urging businesses to follow suit, citing rapidly increasing community transmission rates of COVID-19.
Friday on Political Rewind: House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) joined the show to discuss a recent visit with Republican leaders in Congress and speculation he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022. Ralston, a top leader of Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, said he was interested in the role representing Georgia in the U.S. Congress, but had not made a decision yet.
Mask policies in businesses remain a source of tension as owners continue to balance their need to get customers in the door again and keep everyone safe within public health guidelines that aim to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “masks required” signs are going back up at Washington Memorial Library after they recently were taken down when Macon-Bibb County’s mayor vetoed the county commission’s mandate.
