Editorial
Debate on executive authority worth holding, but must not distract from urgent work
It s a good bet legal challenges weren t on Gov. Eric Holcomb s Christmas list, but the lawsuit filed by a Bluffton restaurant and efforts by Republican lawmakers to rein in his authority over a public health emergency were inevitable. Both deserve the attention our legal and legislative systems afford them; neither should distract from the critical work of fighting the pandemic.
The suit filed by Yergy s BBQ in Bluffton followed a standoff last summer with the Wells County Health Department, which ordered the restaurant closed for violations of masking requirements and limits on customer capacity. Warnings had been issued in response to complaints.
Leo Morris: City council: Our last redoubt
Leo Morris Submitted photo
In Huntington, the powers that be are getting a little high-handed, so some residents are getting a little testy. It’s politics at its best and worst.
Late last month, the City Council passed an ordinance that, among other things, put some teeth in Gov. Holcomb’s mask mandate. Police can issue a written warning to first-time violators and follow it up with a $25 fine. Then, the fine will increase by $50 for each repeated offense, which could get pretty expensive for the obstinately recalcitrant.
That edict brought about 50 people out to protest in front of the Huntington County Courthouse what one attendee said was officials slowly but surely “taking our rights and our freedoms.” Failed Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Donald Rainwater stopped by and urged the crowd to vote out council members “at the earliest opportunity.”