Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger today released the following statement in response to California’s lifting of mandatory masking mandates in schools:“I applaud our state’s decision to end masking mandates in school settings in the coming days. This is a much needed step in the right direction. It gives local jurisdictions the right to decide whether their children should wear masks in educational settings. Those decisions should be made based on local data, along with parent and staff input.