MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Shelby County Commissioner wants to know if the Director of the Shelby County Health Department has the authority to issue mask mandates in schools.
Commissioner Mick Wright sent a letter to Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Iverson asking for a formal opinion on the matter.
In the letter, Wright wants to know if recent moves by state lawmakers prevent the health department from issuing certain directives, and if there is recourse for voters who disagree.
In a release, Wright said, “It has been 521 days since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Shelby County, Tennessee, but today we still don't have a clear understanding of how the government derives its authority to make sweeping orders that impact all citizens. Today I am seeking clarity about the government's powers, the lines of responsibility, and our representative authority under the Constitution. I hear from voters every day asking me to take certain actions, but it seems as if all ultimate authority is vested in an unelected officer whose powers are not subject to any democratic process. Ours is supposed to be a government of limited, representative powers. We need to insist on ways that "We the People" can have influence on the rules and regulations that govern us.”
