Despite request from school boards for help, Republicans beat back efforts to end monthly mask mandate votes

Twice in two days, House Republicans blocked efforts to undo a recently passed law that requires school boards to hold public votes every month on their masking policies.

The North Carolina School Boards Association asked Cooper and lawmakers to change the rule, citing the heated rhetoric over masks in schools.

“A disturbing trend is occurring across the State over COVID-19 mitigation measures," the group said in its letter to lawmakers. "There are increasing numbers of disruptions and cases of verbal abuse by protestors. Boards chairs have been forced to recess or adjourn meetings. There were accusations of one attendee bringing a weapon to a school board meeting. Property has been damaged. School board members and staff have received threats. Security has been significantly increased at board meetings. Rallies and protests are organized by people who don’t even live in the district. Board members and staff fear it’s just a matter of time before it escalates to serious violence."

House Democrats tried twice to to repeal the requirement, instead linking votes on mask policies to changes in local coronavirus metrics.

Rep. Amos Quick, D-Guilford, called the proposed rollback an issue of public safety.

"We sit here and have the comfort of an entire police force to protect us. We have a controlled public environment here [at the legislature], where we make school boards – and many of you, like myself, have served on school boards – don't have those luxuries, and these school board meetings are getting more and more contentious," Quick said.

Republicans opposed any change to the monthly vote, arguing that "someone would be deciding in private" whether changes to a district's policy were needed, which would violate state open meetings laws.

Rep. Larry Pittman, R-Cabarrus, said parents should have the opportunity to voice their opinion on mask mandates as often as possible.

"I certainly don't want encourage or condone any kind of violence that some people seem to think is going to occur," Pittman said. "But I think they need to hear a lot from the parents because – I mean, I don't get my way, but if I had my way, there would be no vaccine or mask mandates anywhere."

However, the proposal to amend Senate Bill 695, an unrelated education bill, was voted down, largely on party lines – by a 4-9 vote Tuesday evening in the House Rules committee and 41-51 on the House floor Wednesday.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt, State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis and Vice Chairman Alan Duncan issued a joint statement Tuesday, calling for responsible behavior at school meetings, but they stopped short of asking lawmakers to undo the meeting requirement.

"The increased hostility and threats of force that we have seen across the state are not reflective of what we expect and ask of our own students: treating others with kindness and respect," the officials said. "As educators, as parents and as concerned citizens, we respect the rights of our fellow citizens to share their concerns and voice their opinions. However, this must be done without the use of intimidation or intentionally inspiring fear."