There is a perfect storm brewing in Missouri. Numbers of coronavirus cases are rising, hospitalizations due to the virus are rising, and intensive care unit admissions are rising. Hospital staffing is short, pandemic fatigue has set in, the weather is getting colder, and people are gathering for the holidays. To top it all off, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is putting his own political gain above the common good.
Schmitt, who is also running for the U.S. Senate, last week instructed school districts and local public health departments to immediately stop enforcing public health orders after a judge ruled them unconstitutional. Schmitt warned school districts and local health agencies that they may face legal action if they fail to withdraw their mandates.
In separate letters sent to school districts and health departments across the state, Schmitt pointed to Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green’s ruling that struck down state health regulations and declared health orders issued by local health authorities to be “null and void.” Schmitt went on to urge parents to turn in their children’s school districts if they break the court order and continue requiring that masks be worn in school. Schmitt has instructed parents to email photos, videos or documents that may support the violations. He has sent cease-and-desist letters to school districts across the state.
