Gov. Abbott Issues Order Banning Mask Mandates in Texas Schools

Soon, local governments and school districts in Texas will no longer be able to issue mask mandates due to an executive order signed by Governor Greg Abbott Tuesday (May 18).

Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that governments are allowed to keep current mandates in place until May 22. School districts can keep their current rules in place through June 4. Those who violate the order could face a fine of up to $1,000.

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The governor says he believes we can mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic within infringing on Texans’ liberty:

Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans’ liberty to choose whether or not they mask up.

Governor Abbott ended the statewide mask mandate and allowed businesses to open to 100% capacity back in March. At the time, he pointed to the rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations as justification for attempting to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans.

As of May 17, 2021, over 12,000,000 Texans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, with just over 9,500,000 being fully vaccinated.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Texas

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Texas using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.