Kansas lawmakers voted along party lines last week to rescind the state’s coronavirus mask mandate despite a bid by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s attempts to extend it, becoming the latest Republican-led state to refuse to extend or reimpose requirements to wear facial coverings.
After the Kansas state legislature recently approved a law permitting the Legislative Coordinating Council—a legislative standing committee—to revoke executive orders, the panel decided in a 5–2 party-line vote to overturn the mask mandate immediately after Kelly took executive action (pdf) to prolong the protocols.