TRENTON, N.J. – Even with threats of pulling Republican bills from today’s Assembly vote, two Assemblymen stood up against the governor’s tyrannical and anti-science mandates, and won.
Assemblymen Gregory P. McGuckin and John Catalano said no to wearing masks on the Assembly floor during Thursday’s voting session.
“Listen, we’ve been told for 15 months to ‘follow the science,’ over and over again by Gov. Murphy,” McGuckin (R-Ocean) said. “Whatever your thoughts on masks have been, we’re now at a place where the CDC—the supposed gold standard of all things pandemic related—says they’re not needed in numerous situations, including our own today. So why aren’t we following that? It’s time, long past time, to ditch the masks. Enough is enough.”
Today’s session was paused when a number of Republicans were not masked while on the floor. Their bills were threatened with removal from the agenda if they refused to wear their masks while seated at their tables.
“It’s outrageous. We sit inside these plastic bubbles. And no one is prevented from masking up if they wish,” Catalano (R-Ocean) added. “It’s time to let New Jersey residents take responsibility for their own actions, including their health decisions. We set a good example of that today.”
While some states like South Dakota never had mask mandates, most other states have adopted or are in the process of implementing the CDC’s latest guidance.
New Jersey is one of only two states—the other being Hawaii—that has refused to lift the indoor mask mandates. Gov. Murphy has refused to budge on lifting that mandate, and has not hinted at all when residents can finally be fully unmasked.
Ultimately, Republican-sponsored bills were voted on, and caucus members remained unmasked.
“So, if we as elected representatives don’t abide by these anti-science dictates, our bills won’t be heard. If we as citizens don’t continue to follow these anti-science dictates, our freedoms will continue to be restricted,” McGuckin said. “John and I stood up today and said, ‘No.’ New Jerseyans, pandemic fatigued, need to stand up too.”