ATTORNEY GENERAL MORRISEY INDICATES MASK MANDATE NOT TO BE ENFORCED

(11/19/2020)
By Bob Weaver

Question: When is a mask mandate not a mandate?

Answer: When it is not enforced?

Shoppers have been spotted in Calhoun and Roane retail stores defying Justice's mandate to wear masks, his order indicating stores must enforce the directive. The stores have "Must Wear Masks" signs.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are fighting over Justice’s face mask mandate.

Certainly the Trump administration has been the leader in not wearing masks.

In a post through his Facebook Page Wednesday, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey stated that “…I will continue to ensure that any efforts who use the criminal code for any purpose are not applied to an arbitrary, improper, or heavy handed manner.”

Morrisey indicating a lack of enforcement of Justice's mandate.

Responding to Morrisey’s Facebook post the Governor said:

“I was saddened this evening to see the statement that Attorney General Morrisey posted to his Facebook. With the overwhelming majority of West Virginians in favor of wearing masks, it is extremely disheartening that he doesn’t also strongly support the wearing of masks, especially after all our medical experts on a state and federal level have made it abundantly clear that wearing a mask works to stop this virus.”

Gov. Justice is facing backlash over tightening COVID-19 requirements around the state.

Anti-mask activists' claims that he's acting like a 'communist or a dictator', violating constitutional liberties.

Justice said those in the state who believe their constitutional rights are being threatened by his mandate that orders everyone to wear a mask in public buildings are just being “silly.”

“It is just silly believing we are stripping away your constitutional freedoms,” Justice said during a news conference Monday, “It’s just ridiculous, or the next thing they are going to get our guns – it is preposterous beyond belief.”