State Sen. Chris Wilson has voiced support for the Legislature’s swift action nullifying mask mandates imposed by Salt Lake and Summit counties.
SALT LAKE CITY – In the midst of a flurry of criticism, State Sen. Chris Wilson (R-Logan) is defending the Legislature’s speedy passage of a joint resolution overturning locally imposed mask mandates.
“The government’s role is not to tell Utahns or businesses how to manage their lives,” Sen. Wilson said after the first week of the 2022 General Session of the 64th Utah Legislature.
“After hearing from numerous constituents and businesses affected by government (mask) mandates (in Salt Lake and Summit counties),” he added, “we took action by passing S.J.R. 3 (Joint Resolution to Terminate Public Health Orders Pertaining to Face Coverings), giving the decision-making power back to individuals.
“The joint resolution ending the mask mandates passed the Senate and House and took effect immediately.”
S.J.R. 3 nullified countywide indoor mask mandates issued by Summit Country on Jan. 6 and Salt Lake County on Jan. 7. Those mandates were imposed on the advice of local public health departments under the authority Senate Bill 195, which was passed by the Legislature during its 2021 general session.
The Legislature’s swift action in overturning those mandates has drawn public criticism from local officials and healthcare spokespersons including Dr. Angela Dunn, director of the Salt Lake County Health Department; Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson; Summit County Manager Tom Fisher; Dr. Phil Bondurant of the Summit County Health Department; and Laurie Stringham, chairwoman of the Salt Lake County Council.
But Sen. Wilson isn’t alone in his support for the controversial resolution. During the Senate’s first floor session, Senate President Stuart Adams (R-Layton) praised Utahns’ courage for working through the pandemic with “durability and strength while maintaining a strong economy, a low unemployment rate and unbreakable community ties.”
Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers (R-Cedar City) also defended S.J.R. 3. As the author of S.B. 195 in 2021, Vickers said that bill gives the Legislature the authority to nullify public health orders that might disrupt society.
“Almost one-third of our state was affected by Salt Lake and Summit counties’ mask mandates, which placed individuals, schools and businesses in the difficult situation of enforcing mask adherence,” Sen. Wilson explained. “Although I am a proponent of local control, those mask mandates had an impact beyond the city and counties that issued them.”
Given those circumstances, Sen. Wilson argued that decisions about whether to wear face coverings should rest with individuals and families.
“Two years ago, we had very little information about the virus,” he said. “We now know a lot more and individuals have the data to make informed decisions.”