Texas Legislature Could Consider Banning Masks at Protests Next Session

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony Tuesday about the ban on wearing masks or hoods at protests, which some believe encourages criminal behavior.

Lawmakers invited Hannah Meyers, director of policing at the Manhattan Institute, to testify. She said she drafted mask ban legislation that partially inspired new legislation in Nassau County, New York, which bans masks in public places with some exceptions, according to reports.

“People are exploiting masks to hide their identities while committing crimes and terrorizing citizens,” Meyers testified. “Offenders tend to behave worse when they are masked, and masking reduces overall civic engagement because citizens cannot trust people they cannot identify,” she continued.

Meyers explained that with the mask ban, reasonable exemptions can be taken into account, such as for health, religion and holidays.

“Judges deal with these types of issues all the time,” she told the committee. “They make reasonable judgments about whether these concerns are real and real. Does a person really present a health risk? Do they actually wear a certain type of mask every day, or did they just put on the mask that day to gather with lots of other people in a crowded space?”

Others attended the hearing to voice their concerns about a future ban.

“I have several chronic health conditions and as such I am more cautious than perhaps many people about contracting infectious diseases like COVID or the flu because being sick causes more damage to my body due to my chronic conditions,” Katherine McArdle.

“No one should have to justify wearing a face covering at a protest or in any other situation,” she continued.

Sameeha Rizvi, civic engagement organizer for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said a ban would threaten religious minorities, immigrants and activists who rely on masks to protect their identities for fear of retaliation, she said.

“The ability to remain anonymous is not just a choice for them, it is a critical safeguard against potential harassment, intimidation or worse,” Rizvi said. “(The mask ban) risks silencing peaceful protesters who fear for their safety or livelihoods when exercising their constitutional rights to protest.”

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