NJ Governor Plans School Mask Rule, Snipes At ‘Knucklehead’ Protesters

The New York Times: N.J. Governor Will Announce Mask Mandate For Schools
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey plans to announce on Friday that public school students, from kindergartners to seniors in high school, will have to wear masks when school resumes, because of a recent surge of new cases of the coronavirus, the governor’s spokesman, Mahen Gunaratna, said. The decision is a sharp reversal for Governor Murphy, a Democrat, who had previously said that mask-wearing policies would be left up to each district. (Hard, 8/6)

NPR: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Lashes Out At Anti-COVID-Vaccination Protesters
Fed up with a group of demonstrators protesting mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy lashed out on Wednesday during a public bill signing. "These folks back there have lost their minds — you've lost your minds," Murphy said, calling out to the protesters. "You are the ultimate knuckleheads, and because of what you are saying and standing for, people are losing their life. People are losing their life and you have to know that. Look in the mirror." The governor had come to Union City to sign legislation that would allocate money to prevent evictions and give utility assistance. (Fischels, 8/5)

In more news about mask mandates in schools —

Arkansas Democrat Gazette: State Lawmakers Vote Down 2 Bills Allowing Schools To Mandate Face Coverings
Arkansas lawmakers on Thursday voted down two bills that would have allowed school boards to implement mask mandates in certain instances, during a special session called by Gov. Asa Hutchinson for the purpose of allowing those mandates. The House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor rejected House Bill 1003 by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, as well as House Bill 1004 by House Minority Leader Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock. (Herzog, 8/5)

AP: Schools Sue And Mayor Defies Arkansas Mask Mandate Ban
Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates faced new legal challenges -- including from a school district where more than 800 staff and students are quarantining because of a COVID-19 outbreak -- and defiance from the mayor of the state capital as Republican lawmakers rejected efforts to roll back the prohibition. The Little Rock and Marion school districts asked a state judge to block the law Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed in April prohibiting schools and other governmental bodies from requiring masks. Little Rock’s mayor, meanwhile, issued an order requiring masks in the city’s public spaces. (DeMillo, 8/5)

NPR: DeSantis Threatens School Funds If Florida Districts Require Masks
A battle is brewing in Florida over whether students will have to wear masks when they return to the classroom this fall. Several Florida school districts are keeping their mask mandates in place for the upcoming school year, despite an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that leaves it up to parents to decide whether their children wear face coverings in school. School boards that don't eliminate mask mandates could face the loss of state funding. (Hernandez, 8/6)

AP: Gov. Gordon Says No Mask Mandate For K-12 Public Schools
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says he will not issue another mask mandate for public schools. “My focus is on supporting local school boards as they take into account conditions in their community and work to assure students learn safely this year too,” Gordon said in a statement released Wednesday. (8/6)

AP: Arizona Doctors Urge Governor To Require Masks In Schools
More than 150 Arizona doctors on Thursday urged Gov. Doug Ducey to mandate masks in public schools, dialing up pressure as coronavirus cases rise and a growing number of school districts require their staff and students to mask up in defiance of a new state law. Scientists don’t yet know the long-term effects of the coronavirus on developing brains, the doctors wrote in a letter delivered to Ducey’s office. Ducey this summer signed legislation that bans schools from requiring children to wear masks. (Cooper, 8/5)

In news about vaccine mandates for students —

The Wall Street Journal: Universities Face Student Lawsuits Over Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate
Hundreds of thousands of college and graduate students at public universities have been given a choice: Get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or don’t show up to campus in the fall.More than a dozen students have opted for a third option: Sue their school. Students have brought federal lawsuits challenging the vaccination requirements at major public university systems in Indiana, Connecticut, California and Massachusetts. (Gershman, 8/6)

Southern California News Group: California Superintendent Thurmond: Mandate Or Not, Folks, Just Get The Coronavirus Vaccine
The state’s top schools chief made another push for Californians to get their COVID-19 shots, saying during a visit to Los Angeles County on Wednesday, Aug. 4, that given the continuing rise in coronavirus cases just as schools are reopening, that the best thing people can do to protect themselves and others would be to get vaccinated immediately. There have been preliminary conversations at the legislative level about mandating vaccinations in K-12 schools, he said, noting, however, that there’s no guarantee if or when such a proposal would become law. No bill has been introduced, and the legislative session is set to end mid-September. (Tat, 8/5)

The New York Times: School Is Back In Session In Atlanta. Teachers And Families Are Wary
When the Atlanta Public Schools reopened on Thursday, students and teachers anticipated — finally — something like a return to normalcy. Schools, now open for in-person classes five days a week, greeted students with balloons. The kindergartners at Morningside Elementary wore brightly colored crowns to celebrate. But even on the first day, families and school employees were already bracing for the possibility of things going awry. (Mzezewa, 8/5)