NC proposed mask law could be in jeopardy

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Many recent protesters on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill partially covered their faces with masks.

Some of those were detained or arrested. The days-long events prompted the North Carolina State House to vote in favor of a new law to address the mask issue.

“The intent of the original bill was to ensure that people, criminals, who their intent is to go out and and commit a crime should not be concealing their identity with some sort of mask or hood. And I think that’s the right thing to do,” said State Representative Erin Pare.

But Republicans in the Senate went even further by removing a provision that allowed public mask-wearing for medical purposes.

Pare, a Republican who represents part of Wake County, said that goes too far. She believes people with health issues should be able to protect themselves and others.

“By removing those provisions, it is creating confusion and worry among good people that they will get in trouble with the law if they go out wearing a mask and we can’t have that, especially in a post COVID world. I think that they have the absolute right and freedom to do that, and we should not be judging that or passing judgment on that. They should have every right to do that if they feel that’s necessary to maintain their personal health and safety,” Pare said.

Duke Health infectious disease specialist Dr. Cameron Wolfe said the science backs up the effectiveness of masks and the pandemic proved it. He worries about legislation that would hinder the health of patients.

“My role normally would is to look after a lot of patients who’ve had transplants, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and those patients continue to be at risk of a lot of infections. Even today, even though the pandemic feels like it’s sort of long behind us. And we have data for the first time sort of built up over those four years that really sort of I think purely, show that. From a medical point of view I want things to continue to be as easy for patients of mine who are at risk to do things that help them and at the end of the day, this seems to provide a lot of barriers. What I don’t want this to do is for this to sort of add fuel to the fire of folk in the general community who believe that masks were unhelpful, that this whole issue was politicized from the get go, and that it makes it harder for patients of mine who need to wear masks to feel comfortable,” said Dr. Wolfe.

A State Senator explained his position on the matter.

“Returning to this era of where we were pre-COVID is not jeopardizing anyone’s prosecution,” said State Senator Buck Ward.

Ward explained his rational behind the removal of the provision “if someone goes into a store or whatever and they’re willing to show what their identity is and put the mask back on, those are things I trust people to be able to work out.”

But Representative Pare disagrees and will vote “no” on the Senate’s version, and she believes she will not be the only Republican to do so.

“I can tell you that there are several legislators that are part of my own caucus that have presented me with their concerns about this, and so I do think that we will probably not concur with the Senate changes and go back to the drawing board, so to speak,” she said.

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