Tennessee’s attorney general says he’s appealing two federal court decisions that blocked Governor Bill Lee’s executive order, which allows parents to opt out of school mask mandates.
“These orders have impeded the Governor’s executive authority during an emergency to direct the State’s public health response, which is why this Office will be appealing those decisions,” Attorney General Herbert Slatery said in a release on Monday.
The announcement challenging the court decisions comes little more than a week before Gov. Bill Lee’s order expires. Federal courts have blocked enforcement of the order in Knox and Shelby counties, allowing them to enforce universal masking.
Slatery’s announcement does not say whether he also intends to challenge a similar ruling made late last week in Williamson County.