Democrats in the Nevada state legislature voted to censure a Republican assemblywoman because of her refusal to wear a mask.
Annie Black of Mesquite, Nevada, was not allowed to vote after the 26-16 censure along party lines, as she broke the rules that require people to wear a face-covering inside of the government building unless they have confirmed their coronavirus vaccination, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.
“A member found guilty by the House of a breach of this Rule shall not vote or speak on the floor, except to explain and apologize for the breach, until the member has made satisfaction to the House for the breach,” the Assembly standing rule states.
“Democrats just stripped me of my ability to vote on bills for allegedly violating their mask rule even though the Chief Clerk has been blatantly violating the same rule for three straight months! Rules for thee…” Black tweeted Thursday.
Democrats just stripped me of my ability to vote on bills for allegedly violating their mask rule even though the Chief Clerk has been blatantly violating the same rule for three straight months! Rules for thee…
— Assemblywoman Annie Black (@RealAnnieBlack) May 20, 2021
All Hell’s About to Break Loose Unless I Apologize. I Won’t. Here’s Why…https://t.co/u8uMsoRQEk
“Speaker @JasonFrierson threatened to block me from voting on bills on behalf of my constituents –including my ‘adopted’ constituents!– unless I apologize and comply. I will not.” pic.twitter.com/UvNVG8u7ZY
— Assemblywoman Annie Black (@RealAnnieBlack) May 19, 2021
Earlier that day, Republican Assemblywoman Jill Dickman was “escorted” off the assembly floor for not wearing a mask as well, and calling her vaccination status “private med info.”
Should this representative been allowed to vote?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
Unlike Dickman, Black was allowed to remain on the floor.
“Just escorted off Assembly floor 4 not wearing a mask even after CDC guidelines change. I refuse to share my private med info, particularly with politicians. No vaccine passports in US or NV except the people’s house. Ridiculous! It’s time to stop making COVID a political issue!!” Dickman tweeted.
Just escorted off Assembly floor 4 not wearing a mask even after CDC guidelines change. I refuse to share my private med info, particularly with politicians. No vaccine passports in US or NV except the people’s house. Ridiculous! It’s time to stop making COVID a political issue!!
— Jill Dickman (@JillDickmanNV) May 20, 2021
Democratic Assembly Majority Teresa Benitez-Thompson told the Nevada Independent that the Legislative Bureau Counsel has been asking members if they have gotten the jab.
“It’s not that we know or not [whether the three members are vaccinated]. They haven’t confirmed,” Thompson said, according to the outlet.
Yet Black noted in a campaign newsletter that “They didn’t ask. I didn’t tell.”
Black represents 64,000 people in her district, meaning that her constituents technically lost representation on the votes that took place following the rebuke.
Especially with coronavirus cases being relatively low in the state of Nevada, a rule prohibiting a member from voting for not complying with guidelines is superfluous at best.
A major issue with Democrats attempting to make an example out of this assemblywoman is that they accidentally gave her free press coverage, which elevates her public profile and raises the case against vaccine passports.
As the United States is coming out of crisis mode, there needs to be an understanding that people will no longer see the necessity of mask-wearing and social distancing.
Rules like this are antithetical to the concept of representative democracy, and the Nevada state legislature should revise it immediately.
