Promised meeting with state leaders about mask mandate didn’t happen
Jan 17, 2022, 7:59 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 4:27 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A publicly announced meeting between the chairwoman of the Salt Lake County Council and state leaders to discuss the county’s mask mandate failed to materialize Monday.
During last week’s emergency council meeting, Chairwoman Laurie Stringham announced the upcoming meeting before voting against a resolution that would have terminated the 30-day mask order.
“Right now, I have a, finally, I have a meeting set up with our state leaders on Monday morning,” Stringham said. “We’re going to see what we can come up with as a plan that will allow choice, that will allow to be able to take care of all those other things, too. But, until that happens, and we have a plan, I will let this stand and I will call another meeting.”
Stringham was the deciding vote on Thursday that broke the council’s four-to-four tie. Her vote against the resolution allowed the mandate in place.
“But I will be meeting with state leaders on Monday and see what we can come up with, and if we can come up with a plan, I will call another meeting and we will overturn this,” Stringham said at the end of the meeting.
On Monday, Stringham’s senior policy advisor told KSL-TV that her office had been in contact with House Speaker Brad Wilson and Senate President Stuart Adams. However, Stringham’s office said the meeting was not going to happen because of the start of the legislative session on Tuesday.
KSL-TV reached out to the offices of Speaker Wilson and President Adams for comment.
“We do not have a meeting with the Salt Lake County Council today as we are busy gearing up for the Legislative Session,” Alexa Roberts, communications manager for the Utah House of Representatives, said. “A meeting was never promised or scheduled.”
“Chairperson Stringham requested a meeting, we tried to schedule one, but it did not work out today due to scheduling conflicts,” Aundrea Peterson, deputy chief of staff for the Utah Senate, said.
Stringham’s office said that she would still be working to schedule the meeting with state leaders.
The mask order remains in effect. It was issued by Salt Lake County Health Department Executive Director Dr. Angela Dunn on Jan. 7 and is scheduled to expire on Feb. 7.