The North Dakota House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that would make future mask mandates illegal.
The Grand Forks Herald report that the bill passed 50-44. It then goes to the state Senate.
The bill comes three months after the North Dakota government, Doug Burgum (R), instituted a nationwide mandate, although the governor himself had previously expressed skepticism about such a move.
The sponsor’s bill, State Representative Jeff Hoverson (R), called mask mandates “devilish lawlessness,” which characterizes them as a conspiracy led by “unelected, wealthy bureaucrats who rob us of our liberties and perpetuate lies,” the Herald reported.
The number of COVID-19 cases decreased after Burgum’s mask mandate. The Herald also notes that health experts attributed the decline to a combination of factors, including restrictions on businesses and increased social distance.
According to the newspaper, several GOP supporters of the state bill said they believe wearing masks does nothing to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Several health experts, including the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, Anthony Fauci
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The newspaper noted that masks are needed in both chambers of the state legislature. However, the rule is not strictly enforced, with the chairman of the House, Kim Koppelman, noting that the rule could be re-examined in the coming weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a study that found that wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask can significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.
According to CDC data, North Dakota has confirmed more than 94,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,433 deaths since the pandemic began nearly a year ago.