Court refuses injunction on mask mandates

PASCO – Despite a Thurston County Superior Court judge's refusal last week to grant an injunction against two gubernatorial mask mandates, the Silent Majority Foundation is vowing to continue its legal fight.

Attorney and Pasco City Councilman Pete Serrano said the lawsuit is over Gov. Jay Inslee's March 11 and March 23 mandates being applied to all 39 counties in the state, even though at the time, two counties didn't have any coronavirus cases and 15 reported less than 10.

"Since the governor declared the state of emergency in ‘all counties’ of the state of Washington, the lack of COVID-19 in some counties should require a showing by the governor of how he determined a state of emergency in all counties,” Serrano's lawsuit said.

During last week's hearing, the Silent Majority Foundation argued the emergency proclamation on counties without an emergency created an undue burden on residents.

The March 11 mandate required masks to be worn in indoor settings statewide, even in locations where there were no cases, and no emergency.

The March 23 proclamation required state workers and contractors to be vaccinated, even in locations where there were no cases, and no emergency.