Kansas Gov Issues Order Mandating Masks In Public

The Wichita Eagle reports:

Gov. Laura Kelly said late Monday she is ordering Kansans to wear face masks in public spaces beginning July 3, as coronavirus cases surge upwards across the state and nation.

The order, effective Friday, is almost certain to spark a backlash in the conservative state. Local leaders will confront a tough choice over whether they will try to overturn the directive — an option counties appear to have under new state law that stripped the governor of some of her emergency authority during the pandemic.

“This doesn’t change where you can go or what you can do. It just means if you’re around other people, you must wear a mask,” Kelly said during a news conference. The Democratic governor acknowledged that she expects “some who will be outraged” by the mandate.