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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, was spotted maskless at an event in Washington, D.C., despite pushing for mask mandates in her own state.
Brown was a “featured guest” at the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s 30th anniversary gala in D.C. and was caught without a face covering in a photo published by an attendee on Twitter.
The Oregon governor’s appearance at the gala coincides with a push for a “permanent” indoor mask mandate in the state.
OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY MOVES TO IMPLEMENT ‘PERMANENT’ INDOOR MASK MANDATE
Brown’s maskless gallivanting illustrates an apparent dissonance with her own state policies.
In August, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), part of Brown’s administration, reinstated an outdoor mask mandate for crowded settings amid the COVID-19 delta variant uptick.
The OHA reversed the outdoor mask mandate last month but maintained an indoor mandate. The Beaver State remains one of a handful of states that still has an indoor mask mandate in place.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits the Bly Fire Camp on the southern edge of the Bootleg Fire in Klamath County, Oregon, Wednesday, June 28, 2021.
(Arden Barnes/The Herald And News via AP)
Last week, the OHA put together a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to discuss the implementation of a “permanent” indoor mask mandate.
Dr. Paul Cieslak, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations with OHA, explained to KATU that OHA’s potential “permanent” indoor mask mandate is not necessarily permanent because it can be repealed.
“Permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent,” Cieslak said. “We can repeal it as well, but we are only allowed to have a temporary rule for 180 days, and anything that goes beyond 180 days, we cannot extend it.”
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The RAC reportedly met with OHA for approximately two hours.
Brown’s office referred Fox News to her campaign, which didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
Fox News’ Jon Brown contributed reporting.
