BISMARCK — The North Dakota House of Representatives and Senate have struck down a mask mandate for lawmakers on the floor of the two chambers.
The Senate voted 38-8 on Monday, March 8, to eliminate the mask requirement on the chamber floor at the end of the day on March 12. The House approved the same rollback of the mask policy on Friday. Only a handful of Democrats and several Republicans voted against the change in each chamber.
When social distancing is not possible, lawmakers will still have to wear masks or face shields in other common areas of the Capitol that fall under the Legislature's control. Mask rules will only apply in committee meetings if the chairperson mandates them. The majority leaders will have the authority to reinstitute the mask requirements if COVID-19 cases spike.
Members of the public who come to watch proceedings in the chambers' galleries will still be required to mask up under the amended rule, said Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield.
The House and Senate passed the mask rule on their own members in December after top Republican lawmakers threw their weight behind the measure. Since the beginning of the legislative session on Jan. 4, lawmakers, staff and other Capitol visitors have been required to wear masks or face shields on the chamber floors and other communal areas, though the rule is lightly enforced and oft ignored.
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Leaders have said it's the appropriate time to roll back the mask requirement since North Dakota's COVID-19 infection numbers are way down and many members have already been vaccinated.
The mask rule has been a point of contention for lawmakers in the Capitol. In one highly publicized altercation, Reps. Karla Rose Hanson and LaurieBeth Hager, both Fargo Democrats, asked now-expelled Rep. Luke Simons, R-Dickinson, to put on a mask while he waited for food. Simons answered with an expletive-laden response that leaders have denounced as inappropriate and unprofessional. The House removed Simons from his seat on Thursday over a series of sexual harassment allegations.
A few lawmakers have announced positive COVID-19 tests since December, including Grand Forks Sen. Ray Holmberg and Jamestown Sen. Terry Wanzek . The total number of legislators who have tested positive is unknown.
