{"id":2324673,"date":"2024-08-14T19:47:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T23:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-county-signs-first-face-covering-ban-into-law-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T19:50:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T23:50:52","slug":"new-york-city-county-signs-first-face-covering-ban-into-law-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-county-signs-first-face-covering-ban-into-law-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City county signs first face covering ban into law &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-york-city-county-signs-first-face-covering-ban-into-law-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2324673&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A new law banning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-spike-in-florida-coronavirus-cases-despite-no-mask-mandate\/\" title=\"No Spike in Florida Coronavirus Cases Despite No Mask Mandate\">face coverings<\/a> \u2063in \u200cNassau County, New \u2062York, has been signed into effect, making it the\u2063 first of its \u2063kind \u2062in the United States. County Executive Bruce Blakeman enacted\u2064 the\u200b law amid concerns about the \u200cuse of masks during protests and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-investigations-drag-down-belief-joe-biden-is-acting-ethically-poll\/\" title=\"Poll: Hunter Biden investigations erode trust in Joe Biden&#039;s ethical conduct.\">potential criminal activities<\/a>, particularly following violent demonstrations \u200dat Columbia University connected to the \u200cIsrael-Hamas conflict. The bill,\u2064 which passed with the support \u200dof Republican legislators and abstention from Democrats, categorizes wearing a mask to conceal identity as a \u2062misdemeanor, punishable by\u200d up to a\u200b year in\u2064 jail and a \u200d$1,000 fine, though it does allow\u200d exemptions \u2062for health and religious\u2062 reasons. \u2062Blakeman emphasized that the law\u2064 aims to protect \u2063the public and noted bipartisan interest in the initiative.\u2062 Governor Kathy \u2062Hochul had previously suggested a similar mask ban for the New York City\u200b subway but had not pursued it at that time.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">New York City county signs first face covering ban into law<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730868\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The first ban on face coverings in the United States was signed into law in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New York City <\/a>on Wednesday following concerns about their use during protests and criminal activity.<\/p>\n<p>The Nassau County law, signed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, is intended to prevent crime and was introduced after violent protests unfolded at Columbia University earlier this year over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Many of the protesters wore face coverings in order to conceal their identity, as they feared punishment for vandalism and political stances that, in many instances, were deemed antisemitic.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kathy-hochul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kathy Hochul<\/a> (D-NY) floated the idea of a similar mask ban on the <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york-city\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New York City<\/a> subway system in June after <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mask-ban-new-york-city-subway-7c83637a00c816407d1174145fc64339\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>antisemitic incidents<\/a>, but no such plan was enacted at the time.<\/p>\n<p>The Nassau County bill was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/mask-ban-nassau-county-ny-blakeman-protests\/5704797\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>passed<\/a> along party lines. The 12 Republicans in the legislature voted in favor, and the seven Democrats abstained, which makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone wearing a face covering to hide their identity. The law does include exemptions for health and religious reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Blakeman, a Republican, said the law &ldquo;protects the public&rdquo; and stressed the bipartisan interest in it.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Mayor Eric Adams has been very <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/eric-adams-support-mask-ban-new-york-sparks-backlash-1914372\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>vocal<\/a> that he&rsquo;d like the New York City Council to pass a similar legislation,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, local Democrats were quick to criticize the bill. Nassau County Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/nassau-county-new-york-signs-first-face-covering-ban-law-rcna166560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>called<\/a> it &ldquo;political theater.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s deeply disappointing that Blakeman and his Republican colleagues chose to ignore any opportunity for bipartisan compromise or even consider the Democratic bill &mdash; a bill that upholds the rule of law, offers a fairer approach for residents and imposes firmer penalties on actual offenders,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The New York Civil Liberties Union also slammed the bill and emphasized its alleged infringement on free speech rights.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Masks protect people who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-blues-the-2020-election-gets-a-giant-asterisk-over-hunter-biden-laptop\/\" title=\"Blue State Blues: The 2020 Election* Gets a Giant Asterisk over Hunter Biden Laptop\">express political opinions<\/a> that are controversial,&rdquo; Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County regional director of the NYCLU, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blakeman was quick to cast that notion aside.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is not an abridgment of anybody&rsquo;s rights. Nobody has a constitutional right to hide their identity in public,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730868\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730868\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York City County has enacted the first face covering ban in the United States, which was signed into law on Wednesday due to worries about their use in protests and criminal activities. The law, introduced by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, aims to deter crime and was prompted by violent demonstrations at Columbia University earlier this year related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Many protesters wore masks to hide their identities out of fear of repercussions for vandalism and political views that were often labeled as antisemitic. In June, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) suggested a similar mask ban for the New York City subway following antisemitic incidents, but no action was taken then. The Nassau County legislation passed along party lines with all 12 Republican legislators voting in favor while seven Democrats abstained. Under this new law, wearing a face covering to conceal one&#8217;s identity is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine; however, there are exemptions for health and religious reasons. Blakeman stated that the law &#8220;protects the public&#8221; and highlighted bipartisan support for it. He noted that Mayor Eric Adams has expressed interest in having similar legislation passed by the New York City Council. Nonetheless, local Democrats criticized the bill; Nassau County Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton described it as &#8220;political theater,&#8221; expressing disappointment over Republicans&#8217; refusal to consider bipartisan compromise or alternative proposals aimed at enforcing laws more fairly against actual offenders. The New York Civil Liberties Union also condemned the bill for allegedly infringing on free speech rights, with Susan Gottehrer from NYCLU stating that masks can protect individuals expressing controversial political opinions. Blakeman dismissed these concerns, asserting that there is no constitutional right allowing individuals to conceal their identities in public spaces<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3359,"featured_media":2324674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Bruce-Blakeman-Nassau-County-mask-ban.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[38170,4762,36462,32068,32076],"class_list":["post-2324673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-face-covering-ban","tag-legislation","tag-new-york-city","tag-public-health","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Bruce-Blakeman-Nassau-County-mask-ban.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2324673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2324673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2324673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2324673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}