Sohn: Govs. Bill Lee, Brian Kemp should man up with statewide mask mandates

AP file photo by Mark Humphrey / Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee removes his mask as he begins a July news conference in Nashville after Tennessee became one of the first states to begin reopening in late April. AP file photo by Mark Humphrey / Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee removes his mask as he begins a July news conference in Nashville after Tennessee became one of the first states to begin reopening in late April.

By Pam Sohn November 17, 2020 5 min read

As Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger appears poised to do the right thing and extend our local countywide mask mandate, a number of Republican governors in other states are looking at the novel coronavirus surge and doing the same or more – statewide.

For example:

* North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, even in October, spoke out against his conservative constituents who might be thinking mask-wearing is a political statement, but still resisted a mask mandate, saying that a mask mandate was “not a job for government; this is a job for everybody.” Now, a month later, with his state leading the nation in per-capita infections, he has ditched politics and announced statewide mask requirements that carry fines of up to $1,000 for non-compliance.

* Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, throughout the summer and early fall, also resisted a mask mandate, framing it as more of a burden than a help. But last week in a video message to all of Utah, he chose the power of government to protect Americans over the politics of personal freedoms. “We cannot afford to debate this issue any longer. Individual freedom is certainly important, and it is our rule of law that protects that freedom.”