Posted on February 12, 2022
Rep. Bolinsky Votes No on Executive Order Extension
Supported Parental Choice on the Issue of Masking Children
HARTFORD – During all-day debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) voted against extending the civil preparedness and public health emergencies, as well as the extension of executive orders issued by Governor Lamont, including the continued mandatory masking of children in schools.
The first item on the House of Representatives calendar was HJ-1, a ‘Resolution Declaring the Continuation of the Public Health and Civil Preparedness Emergencies in the State’. The Governor had acted on the original emergency declarations on March 10, 2020 and, subsequently, six extensions, all set to expire on February 15, 2022. HJ-1 would, for the first time, enact a legislative extension of the Governor’s states of emergency, until June 30, 2022th. Connecticut has been governed under a state of emergency for 23-months. Rep. Bolinsky observed: “HJ-1 will extend the declared state of emergency to 27-months – 2¼ years. A lot of constituents have expressed sentiments that could be summed up as “enough was enough”. He reported “a dozen constituents expressed, in no uncertain terms, that the emergency is clearly not over and the declarations should continue.”
The second bill, HB-5047 ‘An Act Concerning the Extension of Certain Executive Orders and Department of Public Health Authority and Covid-19 Relief Days’, sought to extend 11 of the Governor’s executive orders that were set to expire on February 28, 2022 and throughout the duration of the civil preparedness and public health emergency declarations.
Bolinsky supported an amendment on the bill that would have permitted ‘parental choice’ instead of mandated school mask mandates. That amendment failed on a vote of 56-90.
“Parents know what’s best for their children, government should not make that decision in a one-size-fits-all, statewide mandate. No governmental authority can possibly know better than a loving parent what’s most appropriate for their child. If a parent believes their child should mask, they absolutely should have the choice to mask, without being judged for that family’s decision. Should not the same ability to choose also be afforded to parents who wish not to mask their children?” asked Rep. Bolinsky. “Many of our school-aged children have been adversely affected socially, emotionally and educationally (SEL), as well as physically. Their parents have sounded alarms and, now, studies are confirming learning loss and SEL issues as a result of factors like child social isolation and, their inability to see the faces and expressions of classmates and teachers has become a factor in diminishing their ability to form important relationships.”
Bolinsky concluded: “For most residents, life has progressed, and many of us are venturing out, albeit with restrictions. Newtowners are a resilient and thoughtful bunch who care about their neighbors, even those with different perspectives. Many, on different sides of this same issue, feel fatigued, restless, and isolated. Many are actively expressing concerns about feelings that their government has stopped listening to them. The two-year suspension of representative government in Connecticut is unprecedented and, as their representative, I get that. It’s the reason my focus has shifted for two-years to making thousands of connections for folks who cannot wrap their heads around a government that, on March 10, 2020, stopped answering its phones and responding to written requests for help or clarity. Many want nothing more than clear, observation-based, statistically-scaled study data (sorry for the marketing research flashback!) with which to provide guidance about how, or if, they and their families can navigate back to lives that feel more ‘normal’. They simply want information, in real-time, from real-life and, local indicators they can rely upon to guide their choice in what they believe is best for their families. I want that, too.”
Both the HJ 1 and HB 5047 await action in the State Senate and, if passed, Governor Lamont’s signature. These and all session bills can be tracked on the General Assembly’s website at www.cga.ct.gov.