Harris County's face mask order proves the COVID-19 pandemic is truly a liberal-progressive dream. Now conservatives are suing to block the mandate from going into effect on Monday.
Attorney Jared Woodfill represents Houston health and wellness Dr. Steven Hotze, who heads the Conservative Republicans of Texas PAC. He says Judge Lina Hidalgo's mask order is unconstitutional and sets a horrible precedent.
“Let's say we have COVID-20, do we again shut down the government? Do we shut down the schools? Do we shut down businesess? Do we say to folks they can't go to church? Do we say to them they have to wear a mask?”
The CRT organized a rally against the order, which drew several hundred protesters outside the county administration building in downtown Houston Thursday.
“We have a county judge who clearly ran as a Democratic-socialist, and now she's gone so far as forcing us to wear masks,” says Woodfill. “Let's unmask this socialism and expose Judge Hidalgo for who she is and what's she's done.”
An assistant to County Attorney Vince Ryan insists the order is legal.
“The legal authority is Texas Government Code Chapter 418. There's no constitutional right not to wash your hands. There's no constitutional right through the pandemic to be allowed to spread a deadly virus to other people.”
Gov. Greg Abbott was asked about the controversy during an interview with a Houston television station.
“I will be talking about this as we talk about the process of gradually opening up the state of Texas, but doing so in ways in which we promote safety, that we continue to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.”