Alabama is a Cut Above Texas & Mississippi on Masks, But Only a Cut

Back in July when Georgia Governor Brian Kemp forbade municipalities from instituting mask mandates, I quipped that Georgia made Alabama look progressive as it has a state mask mandate.

Little did I know at the time that I would be moving down to Georgia just over three months later. Well, at least municipalities are able to implement mask mandates. But I digress.

Now this week Texas and Mississippi have succeeded in making Alabama look progressive as Republican Governor Kay Ivey opted to extend the state's mask mandate to April 9th. The mandate was to have ended tomorrow at 5 p.m.

However, Ivey also indicated this would be the final extension stating the wearing of masks would become "a matter of personal responsibility and not a government mandate." This I find troubling. What if the scientific data doesn't justify ending the policy? Does this mean municipalities are precluded from instituting mask mandates if they so choose? 

Governor Ivey has certainly been more prudent than fellow Republican Governors Abbott, Reeves or Kemp in this regard. Her behavior has been very much non-Neanderthal. Indeed she has been a cut above. But only a cut. And soon she will cut it out. I fear that she will cut and run resulting in Alabama losing all the progress it has made against COVID.