ND’s House Minority Leader Wants a Mask Mandate for the Legislature

September 18, 2020 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota
Rep. Josh Boschee (D - District 44) addresses his colleagues in the North Dakota House. (Photo via screenshot.)

Yesterday, the Bismarck Tribune published an article explaining some proposed rule changes — resulting from COVID-19 — for the upcoming 2021 legislative session in North Dakota. I’ll leave the entirety of that article for you to read. Suffice it to say, things probably won’t be business as usual at the Capitol come January. In fact, when it comes to attending in person, it may not be quite as accessible to the public anymore.

In addition, Democratic House Minority Leader Josh Boschee (District 44 – Fargo) is advocating that all legislators be required to wear masks:

“I’m required to wear a tie because that’s part of our dress code, so mandating a mask shouldn’t be a problem.”

Make no mistake about it, there are potential problems looming ahead for a number of legislators. After all, the coronavirus is toughest on the aged and those with underlying health conditions. And let’s not kid ourselves, there’s a number of those in the North Dakota Legislature. (Note: The average age of the state’s lawmakers is 60.)

While I know others may disagree, I must admit that I’m a bit sympathetic to the idea of taking precautions to protect these folks. In spite of any political differences, I certainly wouldn’t wish COVID-19 on any of them.

Now, having said that, I don’t think a mask mandate is the way to address the situation. In fact, it’s kind of insulting. With an average age of 60 years old, I think these state lawmakers are capable of deciding whether they want to mask up or not.

Besides, it certainly appears that the 2021 session is going to be a hybrid of in-person and remote participation. If so, those who are fearful of getting the coronavirus will have the option of participating remotely.

Boschee’s call for a mask mandate should be rejected.

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Sources:

  1. https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/remote-access-rule-changes-prepare-2021-legislature-for-what-ifs/article_86a6865c-d3b2-53e2-90e3-d6f2a8860f97.html
  2. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/interim/21-9387-01000.pdf
  3. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-dakota/articles/2020-05-19/nd-reports-63-new-coronavirus-cases-one-additional-death
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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