During debate in the state House of Representatives on Thursday, Newtown Representative Mitch Bolinsky voted against extending the civil preparedness and public health emergencies, as well as the extension of executive orders issued by Governor Lamont, including the continued mandatory masking of children in schools.

Bolinsky supported an amendment on the bill that would have permitted ‘parental choice’ instead of mandated school mask mandates.  That amendment failed on a vote of 56-90.

Bolinsky says parents know what's best for their children, government should not make that decision in a one-size-fits-all, statewide mandate.  He added that many school-aged children have been adversely affected socially, emotionally and educationally (SEL), as well as physically. 

Bolinsky says the two-year suspension of representative government in Connecticut is unprecedented.  He says many want nothing more than clear, observation-based, statistically-scaled study data to provide guidance about how, or if, they and their families can navigate back to lives that feel more ‘normal’.