Read on Twitter
1/ Thread: @CTGOP leadership called a press conference yesterday to oppose @GovNedLamont’s pandemic emergency declaration — which is the foundation for the entire architecture of careful & responsible restrictions that has helped keep CT safer than many other states. https://twitter.com/ctmirrorpaz/status/1301282885958332417
2/ Ending the emergency declaration now would mean that all of those restrictions would end, with weeks or months of legislative debate and uncertainty to follow.
3/ One of the first questions asked was, “What specific executive orders are you most uncomfortable or disagree with being extended?” This is the first question that @RepTKlarides and @CTGOP should have anticipated, but she had no answer.
4/ When pressed for an answer about what specific concerns would justify overturning @GovNedLamont’s emergency declaration, what did @RepTKlarides and @CTGOP say? *They said some people don’t think we should have to wear masks.*
5/ Here was @RepTKlarides’ exact
response (presumably planned): “Should we wear masks or not wear masks? Ok, I think inside we should probably wear masks. I know some people disagree with that.” (“People are saying...”)
response (presumably planned): “Should we wear masks or not wear masks? Ok, I think inside we should probably wear masks. I know some people disagree with that.” (“People are saying...”)
6/ To be clear: She specifically said that the reason the @CTGOP opposes @GovNedLamont’s public health emergency declaration is that the legislature needs to have a “collaborative conversation” about *indoor mask wearing*.
7/ Now, the truth is most @CTGOP leaders probably don’t want the declared emergency to end. They figure a press conference is a cost-free way to play to crazy, anti-mask base politics: they can attack the Governor without actually affecting anything. BUT...
8/ ....this is really irresponsible. One of the reasons CT has been so successful in combatting COVID in recent months is that we’ve kept politics out of public health. This takes us down a dangerous path that we’ve avoided in CT until now.
9/ @GovNedLamont has been exceptionally responsive and accessible during COVID, and his team is doing a great job under unprecedented circumstances. Let’s not let CT’s science-driven approach be undermined by political games — which is 100% what this @CTGOP press conference was.
