Up at Townhall.com today, I dedicate my column to dissecting the problems with Governor Northam’s new mask edict. Here’s an excerpt:
Northern Virginia finally entered Phase One of the “Forward Virginia” reopening plan after meeting four key metrics.
After delaying our region’s entry originally scheduled for May 15th, residents here in this politically blue haven can now breathe a sigh of relief. Though our region is getting a semblance of freedom, there’s a big caveat: the entire state is subject to a mandatory mask rule, effective today.
On Tuesday, Governor Ralph Northam issued an edict mandating mask-wearing statewide. Virginians must wear them in public indoor places—despite Northam being caught maskless and not adhering to his own social distancing recommendations in Virginia Beach over the holiday weekend.
Executive Order 63 stipulates that all Commonwealth patrons “aged ten and over shall when entering, exiting, traveling through, and spending time inside the settings” wear masks.
Failure to comply is punishable by law as a Class 1 misdemeanor, resulting in up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. The Virginia Department of Health, not local law enforcement, is undertaking enforcement duties.
“We’re not talking about someone who forgets their mask,” Clark Mercer, Northam’s chief of staff, said at Tuesday’s press conference. “This is for businesses who would be grossly negligent in refusing to adopt this policy.”
This mandate will place more undue burdens on Virginia business owners who are already barely making it. Lawmakers, organizations, and editorial boards agree this new rule is problematic and unenforceable.