NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The COVID-19 virus with its Delta variant continues to spike in numbers across the state of Tennessee with cases and hospitalizations as high now as they were six months ago during the winter surge. The increase occurs as schools open for the fall semester. Many of the students, especially those under age 12, are not eligible to receive one of the vaccines that have been proven to provide protection from the disease. So, should those students returning to classes be required to wear masks? What about teachers, staff and school visitors? What about wearing them on school buses? Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton believes masks should not be required. In recent days, he has threatened to seek a special session of the General Assembly to ban local schools from imposing mask mandates. On Wednesday, Speaker Sexton and all 67 members of the Republican Super Majority in the State House signed a letter to Governor Bill Lee asking him to call the special session. The Speaker has also threatened to pass a new school voucher law to allow parents to take their tax dollars out of any school with mask requirements and spend those funds on private education. The Speaker is our guest on INSIDE POLITICS this week.
The COVID-19 virus with its Delta variant continues to spike in numbers across the state of Tennessee with cases and hospitalizations as high now as they were six months ago during the winter surge. The increase occurs as schools open for the fall semester. Many of the students, especially those under age 12, are not eligible to receive one of the vaccines that have been proven to provide protection from the disease. So, should those students returning to classes be required to wear masks? What about teachers, staff and school visitors? What about wearing them on school buses? Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton believes masks should not be required. In recent days, he has threatened to seek a special session of the General Assembly to ban local schools from imposing mask mandates. On Wednesday, Speaker Sexton and all 67 members of the Republican Super Majority in the State House signed a letter to Governor Bill Lee asking him to call the special session. The Speaker has also threatened to pass a new school voucher law to allow parents to take their tax dollars out of any school with mask requirements and spend those funds on private education. The Speaker is our guest on INSIDE POLITICS this week.
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