RALIEGH, N.C. (WRAL) – The North Carolina Senate voted to ban anyone from wearing masks in public, citing health concerns on Wednesday.
WRAL News says the state senate voted along party lines after an emotional debate on the understanding of the legislation put forward to ban anyone from wearing masks in public for health reasons.
House Bill 237 would ban everyone, not just protesters, from wearing masks in public for medical reasons if it becomes law. It passed 30-15, with every Republican in favor and every Democrat opposed.
Democratic lawmakers, community activists, and advocates for people with health issues with concerns of the consequences of the proposal posed strong opposition.
The republican counterpart supporters of the ban say it would police crackdown on protesters who wear masks, which some lawmakers called a growing concern. They were also cited saying demonstrators are abusing COVID-19 pandemic-era norms to wear masks that hide their identities.
This bill and others voted on Wednesday now go to the state House before being sent to Governor Roy Cooper’s office for him to sign or veto.
The other laws passed are listed as follows:
- Modernize sex crime laws to address new technologies like artificial intelligence.
- Increase toll road late fees by 50%.
- Allow billboard companies to cut down more trees on the roadside.
- Automatically charge 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in many felony cases, a partial reversal of juvenile justice reforms that went into effect in 2019.