The statewide school mask mandate battle took another turn this week, as the Commonwealth Court ruled that the mandate should be thrown out now by December 4th.
The Butler-based lawyers who won a court battle to have Governor Wolf’s mask mandate in schools thrown out have won another legal victory concerning if the mandate will stay in place as an appeal is decided.
A decision by the Commonwealth Court Tuesday afternoon states that the stay keeping the mask mandate in place will be lifted on December 4th unless Governor Wolf declares that an emergency situation exists which would call for an emergency regulation.
“For our purposes we’re happy that the court has entered an order that eventually is going to lift the stay,” local attorney Tom Breth said. “We don’t believe that it’s going to end this legal battle so we’re preparing for the next step of the legal battle, including filing a brief with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.”
Soon after the Commonwealth Court ruled against the mask mandate, the Wolf Administration filed an appeal to the PA Supreme Court which legally allowed the mandate to remain in place before this most recent ruling. The state Supreme Court could also intervene or take some sort of action regarding the order to lift the stay before December 4th.
