Republican lawmakers in Nassau County, New York passed a bill on Monday making it illegal to wear a mask or face covering in public to hide one’s identity. The “Mask Transparency Act,” which was unanimously supported by Republicans and condemned by Democrats, is intended to crack down on protesters and violent criminals who exploit mask-wearing laws, punishing them with $1,000 fines and up to a year in prison.
The controversial legislation comes after a string of attacks targeting Jewish people in the Nassau County area which, per county legislator Howard Kopel, are “often perpetrated by those in masks.” In June, New York Governor Kathy Hochul considered a similar ban on masks in New York City subways given the explosion of violent crime that has overtaken the public transit system.
The Mask Transparency Act passed with support from all 12 Republican legislators, while all seven Democrats abstained. The bill now heads to the desk of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for final approval. Blakeman has already spoken out in support of the bill, saying that “unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public.”
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Under the text of the legislation, determining whether a person is wearing a mask for criminal purposes or for legitimate reasons will fall to police officers. Critics of the bill argue that this violates constitutional rights and will lead to disproportionate targeting of minority communities, many of which have adopted identity-concealing masks as a fashion statement since the COPVID-19 pandemic.
“Masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular,” the New York Civil Liberties Union said in a statement. “Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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