Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Newsmax TV on Wednesday that “it’s the right time” to end the state’s mask mandate despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, saying the virus may never be completely eradicated.
Paxton told “National Report,” “I don't know that corona’s ever going to be 100% eliminated, just like so many other things that we deal with,” and added that Gov. Greg Abbott is “trying to balance health and safety with the ability of people to go on and live their lives and participate in all kinds of things they have not been able to participate in … and contribute to the economic wellbeing of Texas through their operations and their businesses.”
When asked if the mandate ending would distract from the state’s leadership during the recent winter storm, Paxton said, “No, I just think it’s the right time.”
He added, “I think, with the vaccination being more prevalent and herd immunity being more likely as we go forward, our state needs to allow businesses to operate. I think that's critical. And it's an important issue just like dealing with the winter storm. They're both important and they don't operate … in unison. They're separate issues and dealt with separately.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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