Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is lashing out against Governor John Bel Edward's statewide mask mandate.
On Wednesday, a statement was released from Landry's office saying that the mandate restriction capacities for businesses and requiring face coverings "does not pass the constitutional test."
The attorney general's statement also said it was "unfortunate" that his office was not consulted about the governor's order beforehand.
Governor John Bel Edwards, who announced the order last week in an effort to combat a surge in new coronavirus cases in hospitalizations, called Landry's opinion politically motivated.
“If ever there were a time to put politics aside to govern, it is now when we are in the middle of a public health crisis that affects all Louisianans regardless of their beliefs or political affiliation," said Edwards. "I wish Jeff Landry would listen to his own words from March 18 when he stood with me and said extraordinary measures were necessary to protect the people of our state during this COVID-19 crisis, encouraged Louisianans to follow my directives and said he was united with me in protecting the health and safety of the people of our state. I’m not sure what has changed since then, aside from the loss of 3,300 additional lives and more than 80,000 additional Louisianans becoming infected."
The opinion comes just a day after Landry himself reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus.
Copyright © 2020 TTWN Media Networks Inc.