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GOP demand for mask mandate punishment ironic

The article about 26 Republican legislators demanding Governor Ducey punish school districts that defy the mask ban is rich in irony.

Let’s count the ways.

First, the author of this demand is Rep. Jake Hoffman. As I recall, he has been permanently banned from Facebook. Why? Because he failed to follow its rules by using teenagers to work in his troll farm during the 2020 election.

Then, he demands something the Governor can’t do without legislative approval: divert public school money to private school vouchers.

Finally, and most ironic, is the basis for his anger. The mask ban was included in a budget bill, and passed in normal order. Which means the ban goes into effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session.

The bill attempts to make it “retroactive” to June. But,as a judge noted last week in temporarily stopping the ban, unless the ban was passed by emergency method, which requires 2/3 of the legislature to approve it, a legislature cannot do what the bill and Hoffmann wanted it to do.

In other words, they didn’t follow the law.

So you have a rule breaker telling the governor to do something that by law he can’t because the rule breaker is mad that districts aren’t obeying a law that was created by not following the law.

And Hoffman wants to complain about “anarchy.”

Have something to say?

Send your letters to the editor, to Paul Maryniak at pmaryniak@timespublications.com

-Mike McClellan

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