Bill to ban mask mandates passes Idaho legislative committee

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would stop any government entity — including local school boards — from issuing a mask mandate passed an Idaho legislative committee on Wednesday.

The legislation is sponsored by St. Anthony Republican Rep. Karey Hanks, who has repeatedly tried to get a ban on mask mandates passed since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Hanks says it shouldn't dictate an individual's health choices, and that Idaho residents are ready to deal with the risks.

The bill passed on a party-line vote and now goes to the full House.

A tally by Johns Hopkins University shows one in every 136 people in Idaho tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.