Blakeman masks up despite claiming he won't enforce mask mandate

                                                                                     

Bruce Blakeman wearing mask as county legislative meeting began at 1 p.m. today

Incoming Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman acquiesced to a mandate from outgoing Democrat County Executive Laura Curran's administration that all visitors to county buildings must wear masks.

You can see Blakeman waiting to speak at the county legislature today in the above photo. He was wearing a mask even though a spokesman told Newsday more than an hour later that Blakeman would not enforce the mask mandate when he takes office Jan. 1.

Blakeman announced his decision after Gov. Kathy Hochul said today the state would not compel counties to enforce the mask mandate.

Hochul last week issued a mask mandate for all public buildings and businesses that did not have vaccination checks, starting today and running through Jan. 15.

At least two Republican County Executives in New York immediately said they would not comply with Hochul's directive

Blakeman, however hedged.  He said he hoped the state would allow local determination.

Curran's administration subsequently put out a memo, directing all county employees and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks in the county building.

All Nassau legislators, including the Republican majority, wore masks at the legislative meeting today.

And so did Blakeman, who had campaigned on removing masks from school children.

Blakeman was at the meeting to pay tribute to departing Legis. Vincent Muscarella, an original member of the county legislature. Blakeman was the first presiding officer of the legislature, that began in Jan. 1996.

Muscarella, a West Hempstead Republican, was elected district court judge in November with cross-endorsement of all political parties. He will take office Jan. 1.

You can see from the above photo that other members of the first legislature, which took office after the former Board of Supervisors was ruled unconstitutional, also came to pay tribute.

Former Democratic legislator Roger Corbin, who has faced legal troubles since serving, is to Blakeman's left in the photo. Behind Blakeman is former Republican legislator John Canning. And to the right of Blakeman is former Republican legislator Darlene Harris, who was elected in November to the family court bench after cross-endorsement.

Blakeman supporters have been urging Blakeman to overturn mask mandates, especially for children.