Ducey issues executive order against ASU mask policy

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) issued an executive order forbidding public colleges from requiring masks after criticizing Arizona State University’s (ASU) policy mandating masks for unvaccinated individuals. 

“Under the Executive Order, students cannot be mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine or submit COVID-19 vaccination documents. Students also cannot be mandated to be tested or wear masks in order to participate in learning,” the executive order says. 

The order comes one day after Ducey tweeted that ASU’s mask policy is “bad policy,” saying “even the Biden administration has been more reasonable.”

ASU’s policy would require proof of vaccination and for unvaccinated individuals to wear masks indoor and outdoors on campus as well as getting tested for the virus twice a week. 

Before the executive order was issued, ASU President Michael Crow defended the policy on KTAR radio, saying some people seem to be confused by it, the Associated Press reported. 

“I think what happened here was some people thought that we were requiring vaccinations, initially, which we weren’t,” Crow said. “I think that’s just gotten some people very upset, and hopefully they’ll take a closer look at it.”

“We’re allowing freedom of choice,” he added. “So we expect vaccinations, but if you don’t get vaccinated, then you’ve got to follow CDC guidelines for institutions of higher education, which are quite clear.”

In the executive order, Ducey continued to stress that vaccinations should be left up to the individual. 

“The vaccine works, and we encourage Arizonans to take it. But it is a choice and we need to keep it that way,” he said. “Public education is a public right, and taxpayers are paying for it. We need to make our public universities available for students to return to learning. They have already missed out on too much learning. From K-12 to higher education, Arizona is supporting in-person learning.”

Many colleges are requiring the coronavirus vaccine for students to return to campus, getting pushback from lawmakers, parents and students.