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New York state supreme court judge strikes down mask mandate
CNN
A state supreme court judge struck down New York state's mask mandate Monday, ruling that the governor and NY State Department of Health did not have the authority to enact such a mandate without approval from the State Legislature.
In an opinion released Monday, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker argued that because New York was no longer under a state of emergency at the time the mask mandate was announced, the governor and health commissioner did not have the additional authority to order such a mandate, adding the mandate is now unenforceable.
In March 2021, New York's state legislature passed a bill limiting the governor's ability to issue emergency orders. In December, amid a new Omicron wave emerging, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a temporary mask mandate that required New Yorkers to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces unless businesses implement a vaccine requirement.