Maryland Mask Ban

This Carrd is no longer up to date. For the most up to date information, please see https://linktr.ee/FightMDMaskBans

Issue

A coalition of Maryland lawmakers are trying to ban masks, purportedly in response to "masked intimidation" at protests, citing the importance of “Black-Jewish solidarity” in the face of intimidation by Proud Boys, neo-Nazis, etc. The penalty will be 90 days in prison and/or a $500 fine for the first offense, doubling after the first offense.Though the bill apparently has a carve out for those who wear masks or face coverings for health/religious reasons, it’s unclear how people will be able to prove this. The decision of what constitutes "masked intimidation" and who has "legitimate" needs will be left up to police officers and it puts many at significant risk, especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color and immunocompromised/disabled folks.It also will likely reduce masking overall, which is concerning given it is a period of record-high flu rates, the rise of H5N1 and tuberculosis, and very high rates of Covid and RSV in Maryland. Ironically, this comes just a month after the recommendation by the Maryland Dept of Health about universal masking (HHA Letter).

Call to Action

This bill is active in both the house and senate. Please take action to stop them both.

To help, you can do one of two things:

  • Contact your representatives

  • Testify at hearings

  • Share this information with your networks

Contact your representatives.

We elect representative officials to represent us in lawmaking. For more information on contacting them about bills, please review ASAN’s fact sheet. There are a variety of ways that you can contact legislators, through phone calls or written correspondence. There are also legislators working on the committees which decide whether these bill continue on the path to become law. When you reach out, let them know if you are their constituent. Below you will find a sample call script and information on contacting your representative. Please personalize it, as your story is more powerful than our templates.

Testify at a hearing.

This bill is active in both the house and senate. Please take action to stop them both.You can provide oral or written testimony and can attend the hearing either in-person or via Zoom. Testimony guidelines are set by the committee, and are usually 1-2 minutes. Please review the witness guidelines before testifying.

  • SB0709 – In the senate. Hearing for the origin committee is on Wednesday, February 26 at 1 pm in the Judiciary Proceedings Committee. Sign up to testify for this hearing is the Monday prior from 8 am – 6 pm EST on MyMGA. Judiciary Proceedings witness guidelines are linked.

  • HB1081 – the house bill. Hearing for the origin committee is on Tuesday February 18 in the Judiciary Committee. It is too late to sign up to testify for this hearing, however if this bill progresses, there may be another.

More hearings may be added in the future if this bill progresses. If you would like to testify or track this bill, create a MyMGA account.

Contact your representatives.

We elect representative officials to represent us in lawmaking. For more information on contacting them about bills, please review ASAN’s fact sheet. There are a variety of ways that you can contact legislators, through phone calls or written correspondence. Below you will find a sample call script and information on contacting your representative. There are also legislators working on the committees which decide whether these bill continue on the path to become law. When you reach out, let them know if you are their constituent.

When you click this link, it will auto open an email. Please personalize it with your information. Also, add the power of your story into the template for the largest impact.

Share with your communities.

Tell people about this. Share it on social media, talk to your friends, ask your friends and loved ones from out of state to support. Coordinate with the people who live nearby. Also, follow social media to stay informed.

We will share updates and further resources, such as a media and social media toolkit, on this site once they are created. Thank you for your support and quick response.

Masks 4 Maryland

Masks are key for public health and safety. We are community organizers standing in solidarity with Covid Advocacy NY Toolkit.