On Tuesday, the Virginia state Senate voted to approve an amendment to a bill that will ban public schools from forcing students to wear masks in the classroom. It notably only applies to public institutions — private schools will still be able to have children remain muzzled in the classroom if they wish.
The legislation, SB739, requires school boards in Virginia to offer in-person instruction to each public school division “for at least the minimum number of required annual instructional hours,” according to the bill’s summary. It was approved in a bipartisan manner; the Democrat-controlled Senate chamber voted 29 to 9 in favor of the floor amendment, which was introduced by Democrat state Sen. Chap Petersen on Tuesday.
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, rule, or policy implemented by a school board, school division, school official, or other state or local authority, the parent of any child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school, or in any school-based early childhood care and education program, may elect for such child to not wear a mask while on school property. A parent making such an election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election,” the added floor amendment reads.
Governor Glenn Glenn Youngkin praised the Virginia senate for what he described as a moment of unity.
“In an overwhelming bipartisan show of support, the Senate of Virginia took a significant step today for parents and children. I applaud Senator Petersen’s amendment to give parents the right to decide whether their children should wear masks in schools,” said the Virginia governor in a Tuesday press statement about the legislation.
“In the last week, we have seen Democrat-led states like Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware move away from universal mask mandates in schools. I am pleased that there is bipartisan support for doing the same in Virginia. This shows that when we work across the aisle, we put Virginians first. I look forward to signing this bill when it comes to my desk,” he continued.
Youngkin previously made news after he signed a list of executive orders during his first day in office, including one pertaining to “allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school.” Big League Politics covered that consequential day. The ‘mask opt-out’ order by the governor was soon shot down by a judge, resulting in a temporary pause on the rule which will likely end shortly after SB739 goes into effect.
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