Idaho lawmakers attempt to ban possible future mask mandates

Idaho lawmakers are pushing a bill to ban mask mandates.

House Bill 32 would ban all state and political subdivisions from requiring people to wear face masks, face shields or other face coverings for the purpose of preventing or slowing the spread of contagious disease.

Masks were a hot topic of discussion across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. While Idaho never established a statewide mask mandate, several school districts and government entities did.

In Coeur d’Alene, mask mandates led to school protests and even school board members resigning.

Under HB32, all Idaho public universities, courts, health districts and other government agencies would be prohibited from implementing another mask mandate.

Supporters of the bill say it’s needed to ensure Idahoans’ freedom.

“This is a path Idaho should never, ever have to go down again,” Senator Brian Lenny said.

Senator Lenny is a sponsor of the bill and said it’s necessary to protect the right to bodily integrity.

“It is a human rights issue,” he said.

Representative Brandon Mitchell covers the city of Moscow, one of the few cities that had a mask mandate during the pandemic.

Mitchell said the mandate provoked animosity in the community.

“I feel like it is my responsibility to protect my own health, and so, if I feel like I need to wear a mask to protect myself from someone like you or someone else, then that is my responsibility, and government should not tell me to do that,” he said.

Those against the bill say it will pose serious health risks.

“Fundamentally, this bill would take a really important tool out of our public health tool box,” Representative Theodore “Todd” Achilles said. “This is really just, fortunately, a grievance bill for folks who disagreed with the mandates from 2019.”

The bill does have exceptions for hospitals, health care facilities and those who have to wear masks in the workplace.

The bill passed the Idaho House of Representatives 52-16 at the end of January. On February 12, the Senate State Affairs Committee gave it the approval as well, sending it over to the State Senate for a second reading.