Austin’s mayor and city council on Thursday approved extending its controversial mask mandate for an entire year.
The mandate fines anyone over the age of 10 caught without wearing a mask in public up to $2,000 per violation.
Mayor Steve Adler and the city council, Democrats all, passed the extension without discussion. It was item #43 on their lengthy agenda, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
It cites Sections 122.006 and 121.003 of the Texas Health and Safety Code and the Austin City Charter, Article I, Section 3 as its authority to extend an ordinance it adopted on July 9 (Ordinance No. 20200709-003) that authorized “rules reasonably necessary to protect the public health.”
Because “COVID-19 remains a public health threat,” the sponsors argue it is necessary to extend the ordinance for one year, create an offense for violating it, and impose monetary penalties.
The ordinance would expire Dec. 31, 2021, and take effect Dec.15, 2020.
The move comes just one day after Mayor Steve Adler was busted issuing directives to Austin residents to stay home to stay safe, while he was vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Adler has apologized for getting caught…