Mask Mandate

Missoula District Court Judge Jason Marks heard arguments on Wednesday morning in the case of Stand Up Montana vs. Missoula County Public Schools on the matter of mandatory masking of students as a possible violation of the parents’ Constitutional rights.

The Laurel Public School Board is taking a wait-and-see approach to mandatory mask requirements.

Hopefully Montana won't have to join other places in going back to masks.

Missoula City County Health Officer Ellen Leahy made it official on Monday: The mask mandate has been lifted, and the masks that were once required and now only recommended.

Earlier this week, attorneys with Stand Up Montana and the Missoula City County Health Department met before District Judge Jason Marks to set a date for a hearing in a lawsuit challenging the ‘mask mandate’ set by Health Officer Ellen Leahy.

They just want to have their voices to be heard and make masks optional for those students who want to wear them at Skyview, West & Senior.

Despite the fact that Montana Governor Greg Gianforte announced that the statewide mask mandate will be allowed to expire on Friday, the mandate will remain in place in Missoula County, according to the City County Health Department.

State Senator Steve Fitzpatrick from Great Falls introduced SB 65 last week. The bill has already passed the Senate and is making its way through the Montana House of Representatives.

In his inauguration speech, one of the promises made by Governor Greg Gianforte was to eliminate the state’s masking mandate through two avenues, one through vaccination and the other through legislation.

At his first press conference on Tuesday, Governor Greg Gianforte said he would be revising the state’s protocols for vaccine distribution and set new parameters for ending the state masking mandate.