HEALTH

UPDATED: Utah House overturns Salt Lake, Summit county mask mandates

Jan 21, 2022, 11:20 AM | Updated: Jan 22, 2022, 8:52 am

overturn mask mandates...

Eighth grade students and their teacher wear masks during their dual language class at Mount Jordan Middle School in Sandy on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, as Salt Lake County has issued a 30-day mask order. (Mengshin Lin/Deseret News)

(Mengshin Lin/Deseret News)

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives has voted to overturn public mask mandates in Salt Lake and Summit counties today. 

Before the 45-29 vote to overturn, the news was confirmed to KSL Newsradio and the Deseret News by House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, Friday morning. He says many members of the House Majority Caucus have asked to have an opportunity to vote on this.

Working with the Salt Lake County Council

Wilson says the House has been quietly working with the Salt Lake County Council to make this happen.

“They’re good people —they’re just having a hard time getting all on the same page,” Wilson told KSL Newsradio. “The widespread belief in our caucus is that masks make a lot of sense for people, but we believe it’s an individual choice if they want them.”

The Salt Lake County Council did not overturn the mask mandate last week in a special meeting, mainly after Council Chair Laurie Stringham said she wouldn’t vote to overturn it.

Stringham’s biggest complaint was that state lawmakers had given local leaders no other tools than “keep” or “remove”.

With today’s news, Stringham issued this statement: 

“I am dedicated to keeping our community open and our residents healthy. As our workforce diminishes and hospitals fill with COVID patients, I will continue to look for ways to help our community with this local issue. After discussing the need to help with schools, first responders, healthcare and businesses with the Speaker yesterday, it was disappointing to see the State interfere with local decisions dedicated to the well-being of Salt Lake County residents, without any other solutions offered. I will continue to look for solutions to getting us through the next few weeks and urge people to take the necessary precautions to protect the health of you and your families.”

Wilson says the mask mandate has really been the source of a lot of division.

“The vast majority of our state has the same covid transmission rates as Salt Lake County, but there’s something really different about what’s happening in the rest of our state,” Wilson says. “There’s not the division, there’s not the contention because of a government-imposed mask mandate.”

Support for the mandate’s removal

The Speaker, Majority Leader Mike Schultz, Majority Whip Jefferson Moss, and the Majority Assistant Whip Val Peterson released the following statement:

A statement from the Majority Caucus leadership about the mask mandate removal.

Salt Lake County Councilwoman Dea Theodore, who voted against the mandate in last week’s county council meeting, released a statement as well: 

“This is a victory for rationality and liberty. The state legislature prudently reserved the authority to prevent the decisions of one or two local officials from restricting the personal freedoms of approximately 1.5 million Utah residents. It is a shame they were forced to exercise that authority, but I am pleased that the rights of every Utah resident to make their own health decisions have been preserved.”

The Governor expressed his support for the removal of the mandate on KSL Newsradio’s Let Me Speak to the Governor, just moments after the vote.

Opposition to the mandate’s removal

The Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson came out strong against lawmakers’ actions this morning, calling them “misguided.”

“Please continue to wear good-quality masks while in public,” Mayor Wilson said in a statement. “We are at very high rates of COVID spread and we are hopeful to have the Omicron variant of the virus behind us soon.  Health experts agree masks worn properly help contain the spread of COVID.”

County Health Director Dr. Angela Dunn’s statement was more subdued, not addressing the legislature’s actions outright, but calling for people to prioritize their health and the health of those around them.

“Effectively protecting our most vulnerable community members—and ensuring that our businesses and essential services have the staff necessary to operate—requires layering our various prevention tools; this includes being up to date on the vaccine, staying home when ill, and wearing a respirator mask in public during this surge. We encourage Salt Lake County residents and visitors to do these things, regardless of whether or not a mandate is in place.”

The Utah Democratic Party also made their disagreement with their fellow lawmakers on Capitol Hill known. 

“This resolution is a complete and total affront to the role of local elected officials in making decisions that are right for their communities,” said Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis in a statement. “With COVID-19 cases skyrocketing across the state, leaders in Salt Lake and Summit Counties, as well as Salt Lake City, used the authority given to them by the legislature just last year to institute temporary mask mandates, at the recommendation of local health departments, that will help mitigate the ongoing public health crisis. But Republicans at the Capitol decided that they know better than the experts and local leaders, and they bypassed the usual committee process to unilaterally impose their will on the people of Utah without even allowing a public hearing on the issue. The Republican Party cannot be trusted to respect the decisions of voters and the local leaders they’ve elected.”

What else?

Even with the mask mandate being removed for the two counties, businesses can still require masks should they desire. The vote does eliminate the mask requirement in Salt Lake City schools.

The Utah Jazz and Vivint Arena will no longer require masks unless fans are sitting near the players’ benches — then they do have to mask up. The arena still requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test.

Lindsay Aerts and Katie McKellar contributed to the reporting of this article.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Health

Myrtle Spurge is often touted as deer-resistant and drought-tolerant, but the plant is rapidly inva...

Eliza Pace

Salt Lake County Health warns of harmful myrtle spurge plant

Myrtle spurge was originally introduced to Utah as a decorative plant but is an invasive species that has spread to natural areas.

13 hours ago

Dairy cows across the country, specifically in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico are getting sick with a...

Alexandrea Bonilla

Cows across the country are getting sick with a “flu-like” illness

Utah is altering the requirements for livestock brought into the state after multiple cows across the country have gotten sick with a flu-like illness.  

1 day ago

Over 30% of people in Utah are considred prediabetic because of the amount of soda they drink....

Amanda Dickson

Is Utah’s soda obsession behind our levels of prediabetes?

Here in Utah, our soda drinking habits might be making us particularly at risk for prediabetes and diabetes.

1 day ago

A hand holds a tablet stamped with "MF," standing for mifepristone....

CNN

Study shows how self-managed abortion became more common, as Supreme Court abortion drug hearing looms

Medication abortion has become increasingly common since it first became available in the United States two decades ago.

2 days ago

Small screens...

Don Brinkerhoff

Small screens impacting the mental health of kids says study

The increased use of small screens by kids and teens may be linked to increased mental health issues according to a study.

2 days ago

bottles of prescription medication at a desk. 16.2% of Utahns are unable to get the prescription me...

Tammy Kikuchi and Emma Keddington

Utah ranks second in the nation for prescription medication shortages

The hardest prescription medication to get is for ADHD, cancer and high blood pressure.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Mother and cute toddler child in a little fancy wooden cottage, reading a book, drinking tea and en...

Visit Bear Lake

How to find the best winter lodging in Bear Lake, Utah

Winter lodging in Bear Lake can be more limited than in the summer, but with some careful planning you can easily book your next winter trip.

Happy family in winter clothing at the ski resort, winter time, watching at mountains in front of t...

Visit Bear Lake

Ski more for less: Affordable ski resorts near Bear Lake, Utah

Plan your perfect ski getaway in Bear Lake this winter, with pristine slopes, affordable tickets, and breathtaking scenery.

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

UPDATED: Utah House overturns Salt Lake, Summit county mask mandates