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On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the “Mask Transparency Act” into law during a ceremony held Wednesday morning, Aug. 14.
It came a little more than a week after the Republican-controlled county legislature passed the act by a vote of 12-0 on Monday, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting.
The bill makes it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces in the county. It also gives private businesses the right to prohibit masks on their premises.
It grants exceptions for health or religious reasons, though that distinction will be determined by Nassau County Police.
Violators could face up to a $1,000 fine and/or a year in jail.
Following the signing, Blakeman touted the move as a broad, public safety measure.
"What we’ve seen is people using masks to shoplift, to carjack, to rob banks, and this is activity that we want to stop,” Blakeman said.
“This is not an abridgment of anybody's rights. Nobody has a constitutional right to hide their identity in public.”
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Legislator Mazi Pilip, said the aim is to prevent people from concealing their identity when taking part in violent protests.
"Having them covering their faces, thinking they can do whatever they want. This is absolutely unacceptable," Pilip told NBC News.
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) was quick to blast the move, accusing Blakeman of "chasing a culture war."
"Masks protect people who express political opinions that are controversial. Officials should be supporting New Yorkers' right to voice their views, not fueling widespread doxxing and threatening arrests," said Susan Gottehrer, the organization's regional director for Nassau County.
She went on to argue that the mask ban could put people's health at risk amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, and questioned how exactly Nassau County Police would enforce the ban.
"The ban's so-called health and religious exceptions will result in police officers – who are not medical or religious experts, but who do have a track record of racially-biased enforcement – to determine who needs a mask and who doesn’t, and who goes to jail.”
The bill is almost certain to face legal challenges.
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