The Mayor of Muscatine is continuing to defend her mask mandate for the city, even after the governor said local governments do not have the authority to issue the orders.
Mayor Diana Broderson says the Muscatine City Attorney advised her the mandate is authorized under a local emergency declaration and Iowa’s home rule provisions.
“Even if this is not something that we’re able to get enforced, we would be not doing our duty, I would not be doing my duty if I didn’t try to do every possible thing that I can,” Broderson says. The Muscatine County Attorney also agreed with the governor and Attorney General in saying local officials are not authorized to issue a mask mandate.
Broderson says she’s not satisfied with that legal opinion. “And I’m not just gonna take…well, we don’t…it doesn’t look like you have the authority to do this. No. That’s not acceptable. I will fight as much as I can to protect the people and the economy in Muscatine,” according to Broderson.
Muscatine city police had not started enforcing the order Tuesday, as they wait for further legal guidance.
(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)