Neither state Senate Democrat who initially voted for the Free the Smiles legislation last month was willing to stick with that "yes" vote this week. Both of their "yes" votes turned into "no" when they had a chance to help override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the school masking measure.
The N.C. Senate voted Wednesday evening to adjourn the longest long session of the legislature in decades, effective March 10. The adjournment resolution calls to reconvene the state legislature on April 4, then gavel out until May 4. The beginning of the short session would officially begin on May 18.
At some point in time, we have all encountered permission slips in schools. Whether you were signing one for your child or having one signed by your parent, it’s the form that a school requires to send home with students to gain their parents’ permission for a field trip, movie, or event. It’s also likely that at some point, you may have forgotten to have your parent sign your permission slip, rendering you unable to participate in an event with your friends.
The speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives wants colleagues to override the governor's veto of a bill ending school mask mandates. It would mark the first time in a year that lawmakers have tried to overturn a gubernatorial veto.
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed the Free the Smiles Act. The bipartisan measure would have blocked mandatory mask policies in N.C. schools.
Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the Free the Smiles Act. The bill would have given parents the right to opt out of student mask mandates for their children.
Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-Watauga), the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, released the following statement on Gov. Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 173, "Free the Smiles Act," which passed with a bipartisan vote in both chambers of the General Assembly
Yesterday the N.C. Senate passed Senate Bill 173, "Free the Smiles Act." This bill makes masks optional in K-12 schools and early childhood programs on state property, thus giving parents control over the decision to mask their children. The bill passed the Senate 28-17.
The North Carolina House has passed the Free the Smiles Act in a veto-proof, bipartisan vote of 76-42. The bill will give parents the right to opt out of student mask mandates for their children.
Mask wars have once again erupted in Buncombe County after the school board voted during a specially called meeting last week, without public comment, to require all students and staff to wear masks while inside, regardless of vaccination status.
