Site icon Metro Voice News

Kansas votes to end mask mandate imposed by Gov. Kelly

kelly mask

Lawmakers in Kansas have voted to end a short-lived statewide coronavirus mask mandate extension put in place by Gov. Laura Kelly. She extended the order last week but a new law allows legislators to repeal the governor’s executive orders.

Kelly, a Democrat, had prolonged the mandate through May 28, beyond what many believed was scientifically reasonable after more stories of their ineffectiveness were reported. The Legislative Coordinating Council voted 5-2 along party lines to cancel it soon after saying they were following the science.

The governor’s mandate has been used to criticize her leadership because it was an on and off-again order that many said was not based on data-driven evidence concerning covid rates.

Republican Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch said the mask mandate revocation of the “one-size-fits-all statewide mandate” won’t impact local orders. “The numbers don’t support a statewide mandate at this time,” he said.

Counties in Kansas could opt out of the statewide mandate and a new law that rewrote the state’s emergency powers law gives the Legislative Coordinating Council the power to repeal Kelly’s executive orders. The governor signed the bill into law last month.

Many counties in Kansas have already rescinded or opted out of mask mandates.

In a joint statement, Finch and Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman, a Republican, said health mandates should be “short-term, data-driven and reserved only for pressing emergency situations.” They were referring to mandates which govern sparsley populated counties in western Kansas and the states most populated county in the same way.

“They should not be used to dictate Kansans’ daily lives year after year,” the statement said according to KSAL-TV in Salina, Kansas.

Kelly said in a statement she was “disappointed” that Republican leaders are “more motivated by political publicity stunts than working together to protect Kansans and our economy.”

She said she understands people want to get back to normal, but stressed the importance of wearing masks to “help protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors from the new COVID-19 strains that are wreaking havoc in other states.”

Kelly’s popularity across Kansas has plummeted since the early days of the pandemic according to a Nov. 2020 report, “The State of the Nation: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey.” The joint survey from Northeastern University, Harvard University, Rutgers University, and Northwestern University rated governors across the nation.

In addition to the mask mandate, here are the mandates Kelly extended:

The Governor issued the following orders, which will generally remain in effect until rescinded or until the statewide state of disaster emergency expires, whichever is earlier:

–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice and wire services

Can You Help?

Metro Voice is fighting Big Tech, cancelled events and more. For 32 years, Metro Voice has been a leader in the faith-based community. We have historically relied on advertising to fund the mission of our publication and sharing the Good News. We are now seeking donation partners who want to support our publication and our mission of faith-based journalism.

Do you like what you read here? Help us continue our mission by supporting Metrovoicenews.com for as little as $1. Every contribution counts, big or small. We sincerely thank you for your continued support and encouragement in these critical times.

Ongoing Support


Monthly Giving



One-Time Gifts

Exit mobile version