face masks

The school board agreed Tuesday to pay the extra fees, as the district's lead lawyer warned that even more legal costs could be on the way.

This decision to appeal comes just two days after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled against the federal mask mandate.

The CDC continues to assess public health conditions, and if the agency determines a mandate is necessary, the Justice Department will file an appeal.

They are now optional for vaccinated guests in indoor locations and on Disney transportation.

Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle's decision hinged on a definition of the word 'sanitation' that public health experts and legal scholars say missed the mark.

Mizelle was nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2020 at age 33. The American Bar Association said at the time she wasn't qualified because she hadn't been practicing law for long enough.

The mask-wearing requirement had been initially imposed in early 2021, shortly after President Biden took office.

It contends, in part, that the CDC has overstepped its legal authority in requiring masks for travelers.

Instead of shifting away money from 12 districts that required masks, legislation would set up a $200 million reserve fund from which the 55 counties that followed state directives would be rewarded.

"We've got to stop with this COVID theater," Gov. DeSantis told masked Middleton High School students visiting USF Wednesday. "So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous."

The recommendations, which discourage mask wearing and promote off-label medications, come as the CDC is expected to significantly loosen federal mask guidelines.

Hillsborough and Sarasota counties are among a dozen school districts that defied a mask mandate ban from the governor and as a result would get a smaller funding increase under the House budget proposal. The leader of the Senate says its a plan he's open to discussing.