A Democrat in Virginia Just Gave Mask-Mandating Schools a Big Ultimatum – Opinion

Surprise election of Gov. The Commonwealth has been contentious since Glenn Youngkin was elected unexpectedly. Democrats aren’t used to having a Republican who follows through on his promises, but that’s exactly what Youngkin did, signing orders to ban Critical Race Theory and abolishing district-wide mask mandates for school children, among other things.

The mask mandate issue is already leading to legal challenges, with Arlington County and Fairfax County refusing to abide by Youngkin’s order. The latest developments may render those legal challenges irrelevant. Apparently, the hero Virginians need to rid their children of ineffective, pointless face diapers is…a Democrat?

That’s the word from VA State Senator Chap Peterson, who represents Fairfax County, a deep blue area of the state.

🚨VA DEM Senator Chap Peterson asks Fairfax Co. schools to stop the mask mandate, or he will join w GOP for it to be ended.

The forced masking policy will soon end, and it is expected to be over by the middle of next week. Within a couple of weeks. Otherwise, it will be reintroduced to the General Assembly. IT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE LONG-TERM SOLUTION.”

— Keith Appell (@KeithAppell) January 24, 2022

Here’s the situation. Here’s the current situation. The Virginia Senate is led by Democrats with a narrow margin of one vote. This includes L. Louise Lucas who, despite being an absolute lunatic, is trying to become Nikki Fried in her state. Additionally, there’s a vague law that says Virginia schools should follow CDC guidelines as closely possible. That’s the hold-up on Youngkin’s order going into full effect.

Until this point, it was assumed that because of those political dynamics, the courts would have to decide whether that law effectively neutered Youngkin’s order. But with Peterson saying he’ll join the Republicans to give them the votes needed to get rid of the prior law, that completely screws up the resistance plan being put into motion by these far-left school districts.

Worth noting that Chap represents the heart of Fairfax County // he’s been hearing nonstop from frustrated parents over the last two years.

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) January 24, 2022

Of course, there is a bit of a “just wait two weeks” vibe going on with Peterson saying he’s going to take action in a “few weeks.” Still, having him as an ally in this fight is still a very welcome development, even if things are slightly delayed. If left up to the courts, there’s no telling what would happen with Youngkin’s order, but if Peterson and the Republicans take action, that will all be moot.

Exit thought: It seems like some Democrats have begun to see the signs regarding parents’ upset and mask mandates. It is hard to imagine what the situation will be for other Fairfax County Democrats if he has to do this. Only question now is whether there will be any more.