A Texas judge has sided with the City of Austin in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) lawsuit over the city’s mask mandate.
Judge Lora Livingston on Friday refused to grant the state a temporary warrant, said NBC subsidiary KXAN.
The ruling will keep the mandate in effect for at least two more weeks and a new hearing is scheduled for March 26, KXAN reports. Livingston could change her ruling after hearing more arguments.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler praised the statement on Twitter, saying, “Good news! We learned this morning that Austin’s mask rules will remain in effect for the next two weeks. We will return to court on March 26. ”
“Whatever happens, we will continue to be guided by doctors and data. Masking works, ”he tweeted.
Good news! We learned this morning that Austin’s mask rules will remain in effect for the next two weeks. We will return to court on March 26.
Whatever happens, we continue to be guided by doctors and data. Masking works. #MaskUpATX pic.twitter.com/tD4Gn6xPpk
– Mayor Adler | wear a mask. (@MayorAdler) March 12, 2021
Travis County Judge Andy Brown also shared the ruling on Twitter.
“After today’s court hearing, mask wearing in the Travis County and Austin companies will remain in effect,” Brown tweeted. “Thanks to our prosecutor [Delia Garcia] and team to fight to keep our community safe. ”
Thank you to our prosecutor @DGTCAttorney and team to fight to keep our community safe
– Travis County Judge Andy Brown (@TravisCoJudge) March 12, 2021
Paxton filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Adler, Brown and Austin’s interim medical director and health authority Mark Escott over the city’s decision to maintain the local mask mandate after statewide restrictions were lifted.
The Attorney General threatened Adler with a lawsuit on Wednesday if the mask mandate was not removed, hours after he said his office was looking for “any avenue available” to stop the mandate.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced on March 2 that he would lift the mask’s statewide mandate, and his order took effect Wednesday. The injunction limited the power to impose restrictions on district judges only if cases continued in their jurisdictions for a week in a row.
However, the city of Austin has decided to do just that mandate masks worn in the businesses of Travis County.
The Hill has contacted Adler and Paxton’s offices for comment.