Treasury warns Arizona it can not use federal funds to undermine masks norms By Reuters

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo informed Arizona’s governor on Tuesday that his state couldn’t use federal funds to pay for applications geared toward undermining face masks necessities in colleges, and mentioned Arizona might lose funding if it didn’t change course.

In a letter to Governor Douglas Ducey, Adeyemo raised considerations about two new Arizona state applications funded underneath the coronarivus reduction “American Rescue Plan” which he mentioned would “undermine evidence-based efforts to cease the unfold of COVID-19.” The illness continues to pose an imminent menace, killing over 1,500 Individuals on daily basis in current weeks, he mentioned.

Adeyemo’s letter comes a month after the U.S. Division of Schooling opened civil rights investigations https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-education-dept-opens-investigations-5-states-regarding-bans-universal-masking-2021-08-30 to find out whether or not 5 states – Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah – which have banned colleges from requiring masks are discriminating towards college students with disabilities.

One of many Arizona applications gives grants to highschool districts on situation they not require the usage of face coverings throughout tutorial hours. The second provides households a voucher of as much as $7,000 per pupil to cowl tuition or different instructional prices at a brand new college that doesn’t require face coverings if the coed’s present college requires them.

Ducey introduced the 2 applications in August after some Arizona college districts defied a ban on college masks mandates handed by the state’s Republican legislature this yr.

Each applications tapped a $350 billion fund established underneath the American Rescue Plan to mitigate the fiscal results of the COVID-19 emergency, which has killed over 700,000 individuals in the USA, Adeyemo mentioned in his letter.

“A program or service that imposes circumstances on participation or acceptance of the service that may undermine efforts to cease the unfold of COVID-19 or discourage compliance with evidence-based options for stopping the unfold of COVID-19 just isn’t a permissible use of (such) funds,” he mentioned.

Adeyemo requested Ducey to reply inside 30 days on how Arizona deliberate to return into compliance with the federal necessities, warning that “failure to reply or remediate could lead to administrative or different motion.” Such motion might embrace federal efforts to recoup the funds, a Treasury official mentioned.

Arizona officers are reviewing the letter and can reply, mentioned Ducey’s spokesperson C.J. Karamargin.

“Whereas the Biden administration continues to concentrate on mandates, right here in Arizona we belief households to make selections round what’s greatest for his or her kids,” he mentioned, including that the voucher program was giving households in want entry to sources like tutoring, baby care and transportation.

Florida, Texas and Arkansas have additionally banned obligatory masking orders in colleges. The Schooling Division left these states and Arizona out of its inquiry as a result of courtroom orders or different actions have paused their enforcement, it mentioned in a information launch.