Staff Report

INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb voiced support on Monday, Aug. 16, for school districts choosing to issue mask mandates for students and staff as the new school year arrives amid more COVID-19 cases.

File photo of Gov. Eric Holcomb.

“I think the schools that are putting mask mandates into place are making a wise decision when the facts warrant it,” Holcomb said in reports that gained some national attention.

“I’m not surprised by the pushback having lived through the last year and a half,” he said.

The Hill, a website that tracks national politics, pointed out Holcomb’s approach is a break with Republican governors in Florida, Texas and other states that have issued statewide orders prohibiting mask-wearing mandates in schools.

Some districts in those states are now defying the governor’s orders.

The Hill reported Holcomb would not go as far as to enforce a statewide mask mandate but would instead give local authorities, schools and businesses the authority to implement such a measure if they wish.