The order came two days after Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff ordered businesses in his county to require employees and customers wear face masks when social distancing is not possible.
Although the governor issued an executive order June 3 banning local governments from imposing fines or criminal penalties on people who don’t wear masks in public, Abbott said local governments have the power to require stores and business to require masks.
As of Friday, along with Dallas and Bexar counties, Travis, Hidalgo, Cameron, El Paso and Harris counties have also issued orders mandating businesses require face masks or risk fines up to $1,000.
At an April press conference where he talked about plans for reopening the state, Abbott took away local officials’ ability to issue fines for violating coronavirus-related orders, adding that his executive order “supersedes local orders, with regard to any type of fine or penalty for anyone not wearing a mask.”
Meanwhile, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a former Republican lawmaker, said he does not think the counties’ face mask orders are an “onerous burden,” but a small price to pay to keep the economy open and stop the spread of the virus.
