AG James once supported the repeal of the mask ban law during the COVID pandemic. However, following mass protests and reported attacks by people in masks, she is backing the effort to reinstate the ban on face coverings. | © Shawn Dowd/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC
(New York, NY) – New York is looking to ban face coverings at protests. The state Attorney General Letitia James seems to be backing that effort. The New York Post reports that a spokesperson with James’s office stated that James and Hochul are in discussions with lawmakers to bring back the state’s mask ban.
The ban was repealed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now state officials say that it is not an issue of public health, but rather it is an issue of public safety. Hochul and other legislators claim that the face coverings could be used by people to conceal their identities when carrying out illicit activities or harassing others. James’s office released a statement saying that “no one shoud be able to hide behind a mask to spew hate”.
When the coronavirus began infecting people in New York, James advocated for the repeal of the mask ban saying it’s necessary for the health of the state. Now both Democrats and Republicans are backing the effort to bring back the law which banned gatherings of people covering up their faces. That law originally carried a penalty of 15 days in jail.
Legislators are currently fine-tuning a new mask ban that would include exceptions for people with health concerns and protecting religious and cultural practices.
