Travis County judge issues injunction against mask mandate ban

AUSTIN, Texas - A Travis County judge has issued a temporary injunction order against Gov. Greg Abbott and his ban on mask mandates.

The attorney general's office has followed that ruling up with a notice to appeal.

The ruling from Judge Catherine Mauzy comes after two days of testimony earlier this week in a case initially filed by La Joya ISD, but joined by other school districts and education advocates. The focus of the online hearing before the judge was on the powers given to the Governor by the Texas Disaster Act of 1975.

Attorneys for the state pointed out that the governor's ban does not prevent anyone from wearing a mask, if they want, while attorneys for the school districts claimed all they want is what they had that helped them get through the previous school year.

Gov. Abbott, school districts face off in court over mask mandates

A ruling from the court on mask mandates is expected before the end of the week.

The local ruling follows a State Supreme Court ruling that kept in place the governor's mask ban but only in a case involving a mask mandate in San Antonio. The ruling put the mandate by officials in San Antonio and Bexar County on pause, overriding a ruling a week ago by the 4th Court of Appeals — which had cleared the way for officials to compel students, teachers, school staff and visitors at K-12 public schools to wear masks.

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