Gov. Whitmer has received some pushback on her executive order requiring student athletes to wear masks while playing. | Stock Photo at Getty Images
Gov. Whitmer has received some pushback on her executive order requiring student athletes to wear masks while playing. | Stock Photo at Getty Images
Upper Peninsula lawmakers have asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to clarify her executive orders regarding athletes wearing face masks during practices and competitions, according to MiSenateGOP.
The legislators want clarification regarding Executive Orders 2020-176 and 2020-180, which allow organized sports practices and competitions to begin again, but the same orders also state that athletes must always wear face masks. The legislators want Whitmer to share her reasoning for why athletes must wear masks at all times, including scientific data and health data that supports her order.
State Sens. Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Township) and Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) and House Reps. Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette), Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain) and Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) authored the letter to Whitmer, seeking clarification.
“Gov. Whitmer’s executive orders allowing sports to resume was a good development. However, the decision to require student athletes to wear face masks all the time is creating confusion and resentment,” the letter states, according to MiSenateGOP. “Throughout the country, and the world, athletes are safely practicing and competing without face masks. That this administration would require them for all athletes all the time is not only confusing for students, parents and coaches, but it also contradicts Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization recommendations.”
The legislators request that Whitmer reconsider her decision or provide them with justification on why she's made this controversial decision. They point out that the World Health Organization notes that wearing masks during exercise can make breathing uncomfortable. The lawmakers are seeking the scientific data on which Whitmer has based her decision.
The legislators also cited data from FootballScoop.com, a website that provides job information for coaches, which reported that there was no indication of a significant increase in COVID-19 infection rates in the 15 states playing football without masks during the previous two to four weeks.
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