Senator Gallivan & Colleagues Renew Call to End COVID-Related Mandates

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C, Elma) and members of the Senate Republican Conference renewed their call for an end to strict mandates imposed by Governor Kathy Hochul and the Department of Health.

While the governor recently lifted the so-called vax or mask business mandate, she left the mask mandate for schools and childcare centers in place, despite the fact that the number of COVID-19 related cases and hospitalizations have declined dramatically across the state.   

“As I have said in the past, statewide mandates are not the answer,” Senator Gallivan said.  “No one individual or agency should have the authority to impose such directives and it is time to restore our system of checks and balances in government.  As more and more constituents call for an end to mask mandates in schools and childcare centers, I urge my Senate colleagues to take action immediately to stop such government overreach.” 

The Senate Republicans on Monday proposed an amendment on the floor of the Senate to force a vote on unmasking kids, dismantling the governor’s mandates and restoring checks and balances. The attempt was an opportunity to put legislators on the record on how they feel about masking kids while mask mandates almost everywhere else in New York and the nation are being lifted. Members of the Senate Majority rejected the effort.

Senator Gallivan has a steadfast voice calling for more checks and balances in state government, and putting an end to the various one-size-fits-all mandates issued by the governor’s office. 

Last week, members of the Senate Minority Conference penned a letter to the governor, questioning the decision to keep kids masked & calling for metrics for an off-ramp to the mandate.