New York State To Push Face Mask Ban?

Face masks were first banned in New York back in 1845, as the NYCLU says the ban was a direct response to the rent protests that were happening at the time. From there, the public mask ban was only enforced by some law enforcement on occasion.

This obviously all changed through during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as public mask mandates were greatly encouraged, and even enforced, in an attempt to try to stop the spread of the virus.

See Also: New York State Moves To Ban Substances To Protect Public Health

But now, The Gothamist reports that New York Governor Kathy Hochul is once again pushing at least some restrictions for the wearing of masks in public. Some areas such as Nassau County or Ballston Spa have already passed such measures. The Gothamist reports that Hochul's last-minute effort to pass the ban is part of her initiative to "improve public safety".

New York State To Push Face Mask Ban?

Governor Hochul first brought up issuing restrictions on public mask wearing in the summer of 2024. Now, Hochul is again pushing to at least partially ban public mask wearing in New York, as part of a state budget that is due April 1.

What some consider interesting is that while Hochul is conducting the talks with other politicians behind closed doors, she hasn't really publicly addressed the issue, according to The New York Post. 

The Gothamist says that the Governor, and others like New York City Mayor Eric Adams, are concerned that criminals are continuing to use face masks to hide their identities while committing crimes.

Not all support the proposed ban, though. Some state lawmakers feel that the ban could "endanger public health and lead to discriminatory enforcement." Others, such as Senator James Skoufis, support certain versions of mask bans, but are willing to alter legislation that would "allow exceptions for public health and free speech."

The New York Civil Liberties Union has raised concern that diseases, such as COVID, "remain(s) a serious health threat", and that many public protestors could "face continued, unrelenting doxxing and targeted surveillance."