Dishonorable Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins thinks he can disobey the Governor of Texas.
Mask mandates are back in Dallas County. As of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, all businesses, public schools, and county buildings must require mask-wearing to prevent the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, according to an executive order signed today by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The “Tiny Tyrant’s” order requires all public-facing businesses, including restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and retailers, to require “all employees and visitors” to wear masks indoors. (The exact language is “all commercial entities that provide goods and services to the public.”) Same goes for child care centers and schools, pre-K through 12th grades, as well as all county buildings. At restaurants, customers can take off their masks while eating or drinking. The order does not apply to anything outdoors.
Governor Greg Abbott’s attorneys will certainly appeal and try again to limit Jenkins’ power. If those appeals are successful, Dallas County could be looking at a “mask on, mask off” situation, legally speaking, said attorneys who were on the Zoom call with Jenkins.