(Bert Johnson / CapRadio) – Nevada’s Legislature updated its rules on May 19 to allow fully vaccinated people to enter the building without masks in accordance with current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The next day Democrats, who hold a majority in the Assembly, voted to censure Assemblywoman Annie Black (R–Mesquite) for refusing to wear a mask in the chamber or confirm whether she had been vaccinated. As a result, Black was not allowed to vote or speak on the Assembly floor for four days.
“We were informed that there were persons who had not confirmed they were vaccinated, they were not wearing masks and so we complied with our rules,” Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D–Las Vegas) told reporters. …
Black claimed neither Democrats nor legislative staff gave her the chance to defend herself before the vote.
“They never confirmed if I was or was not vaccinated and then took action to strip my ability to do my job for the people that I represent,” she told CapRadio. “So I don’t know what I would apologize for. Not that I would.” …
While Black’s ability to vote and speak during floor sessions has been restored, albeit virtually, she continued to strike a defiant tone in a blog post about the reversal.
“It’s not about health. It’s about control,” she wrote to supporters, while insisting she had not disclosed to her colleagues whether or not she’d been vaccinated.
