Governor Ducey has signed a law that exempts businesses from being required to enforce mask mandates at any level.
The Governor says that because the cities did not enforce their mandates and instead left the responsibility to businesses, it caused "concern and heartache" for many of those businesses.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, responding to Governor Ducey, said: "The law does not go into effect until 90 days after the end of the session. Until then, the county's mandate remains in effect."
Governor Ducey acknowledges that there could be an error in drafting and unintended consequences related to long-standing workplace safety and infection control standards that aren't connected to the current pandemic. He said that there will be future legislation to fix that error.
"I am signing this bill," the Governor's statement concludes, "ensuring that our small businesses will no longer be required to enforce mandates imposed on them by their cities who are choosing not to enforce it themselves."
The current legislative session is set to end April 24th.
