In the wake of Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide mandate that Texans wear masks, citizens across the state are decrying the order as tyrannical government overreach.
But so far, many of the state’s elected officials have been silent, including one of the state’s most prominent opponents to mandatory mask orders: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
When Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo moved to impose a mask mandate not unlike the executive order recently implemented by Abbott, Patrick was one of the first to criticize her. In an April press release and subsequent statements, Patrick decried the order as “the ultimate government overreach” and said policies like it “fuel public anger.”
“On the same day Harris County Commissioner’s Court plans to close the $60 million-dollar pop-up hospital at NRG Park because it wasn’t needed, Judge Lina Hidalgo orders anyone over the age of 10 to wear a mask in public,” Patrick said at the time. “Her abuse of the use of executive orders is the ultimate government overreach. These kind of confused government policies fuel public anger—and rightfully so.”
But following Abbott’s even more aggressive order, which impacts the entire state, Patrick has yet to issue a statement. In fact, the usually outspoken Patrick hasn’t said anything on Twitter in the past 24 hours.
Patrick’s office declined to provide a comment to Texas Scorecard on the issue.
