Louisiana Republicans don't plan to sue over mask order, leader says

State Rep. Blake Miguez, chairman of the House Republican caucus, said Friday that there are no plans for Louisiana House Republicans to take legal action against the governor’s mandatory mask requirement after an opinion from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry that says the order “does not pass the constitutional test” and “cannot be enforced with criminal or financial sanctions.

Also Friday, Rep. Clay Schexnayder, the Republican House speaker, sent a strong message to other Republican House members advising them to not proceed with their plan to muster up the votes to take away Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency powers.

The attorney general’s official opinion was addressed to the eight Republican lawmakers who sought his opinion: Larry Bagley, Rick Edmonds, Alan Seabaugh, Charles “Chuck” Owen , Dodie Horton, Beau Beaullieu and Miguez in the House and Robert Mills in the state Senate. Seabaugh has sponsored the bill that would wrest power away from the governor.

“It is our prerogative to override the governor should we choose to,” Schexnayder wrote in a text message to Republicans House members that was shared with the Illuminator. “But if we do that, we should understand that our decision will not only affect the health and wellbeing of our citizens with regard to COVID-19 but also their safety should a natural disaster strike. The decisions we make in the following days and weeks could have dramatic unintended consequences for the entire state. As your leader, I simply ask that you weigh the risks before making your decision.”

Read more: https://lailluminator.com/2020/07/17/louisiana-republicans-dont-plan-to-sue-over-mask-order-leader-says/