Anti-mask supporters in Androscoggin County, Maine, could be heard shouting “cowards” and “shame,” after county commissioners voted Wednesday to postpone a resolution that aims to reject a mask mandate ordered by Democratic Governor Janet Mills.
Nearly two dozen residents gathered for the commissioner meeting to support the anti-mask mandate resolution that accuses Mills of interfering with citizen liberties by requiring the use of facial coverings in public.
The resolution, which was introduced by County Commissioner Isaiah Lary, says that all citizens, businesses and visitors of Androscoggin County should be “free to wear or not wear masks” in accordance with their own preference.
The resolution also claims that there is “scant evidence” to support that facial coverings effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19, despite scientific data from public health experts and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that say they do.
“The governor and especially the state Legislature have exceeded their constitutional authority and it must stop and it must stop now,” Lary said during the meeting, the Sun Journal reported.
“This resolution points out the lack of science behind cloth masks, but more importantly it’s very hard to find opposing science through censorship by the big tech media and the mainstream media,” he added.
The meeting included more than two hours of debate among the commissioners and anti-mask supporters who believe that required facial coverings are ineffective and prohibit individual freedoms.
“I’ve seen the harm that this has had on families,” said Richard Poulin, a resident of Sabattus, Maine, the Sun Journal reported.”It’s creating hardships.”
“Something is wrong,” William Kenniston of Livermore Falls added, according to the publication. “We were told that once we flatten the curve, it would all be over. Well, it hasn’t. I’d like to know what science Gov. Mills and [CDC director] Dr. Shah is listening to.”
But in a 4-3 vote, the county commissioners ultimately agreed to postpone voting on the resolution until the next meeting in two weeks.
Ultimately, Lary said his goal is to challenge the executive orders in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, hoping that other counties will join him, the Sun Journal reported.
Newsweek contacted Lary for additional comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Anti-maskers in Maine shouted “coward” and “shame” after county commissioners voted to postpone a vote on a resolution condemning Gov. Janet Mills’ mask-mandate. Here, people wearing masks are seen exiting a thrift shop in Maine on September 17, 2020. Joseph Prezioso/Getty
Mills introduced the mask mandate on December 11, requiring that all people in public settings wear face coverings, and ordering that “all owners and operators of indoor public spaces, regardless of the type of entity or its size, must deny entry to those who refuse.”
“This is another important step in slowing the spread of COVID-19, protecting employees, and keeping Maine businesses open,” Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said in the December statement.
“It is important that all people of Maine take this responsibility seriously and do their part by wearing a mask every time they leave their home.”
Jackie Farwell, the director of communications for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services issued continued support for the mandate in a statement on Monday.
“The scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of wearing masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear and well established in the U.S. and globally,” she said.
On Monday, the CDC mandated that U.S. citizens must wear a mask or facial covering on public and commercial transportation.
President Joe Biden has also made wearing a mask a requirement on all federal property, and has pleaded with Americans to join him in wearing a mask for the first 100 days of his presidency.
“This is not a political statement. This is about the health of our families, and economic recovery of our country,” he said in January.
