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Petition not valid
The Leavenworth Times
A petition seeking the repeal of the city of Leavenworth’s mask order does not contain the required number of signatures, the county clerk said.
County Clerk Janet Klasinski said the petition needed 695 signatures of people who are registered to vote in the city of Leavenworth in order for the document to be considered valid. But Klasinski said the petition was five or six signatures short of the number needed.
April Cromer, who was involved in the petition drive, said the petition was turned in with 844 signatures.
But Klasinski said many of the signatures could not be counted. She said more than 20 people signed the petition more than once. Some of the people who signed the petition are not registered voters. And some of the people who signed the petition do not live in the city.
Leavenworth to consider extension of mask order
Opponents submit petition
The Leavenworth Times
As Leavenworth city commissioners prepare to consider an extension of a mask order, signatures are being checked on a petition from a group seeking to repeal the order.
When they meet this evening, commissioners are scheduled to consider an extension of an ordinance that requires people to wear masks or other face coverings in public spaces in the city of Leavenworth.
Commissioners approved the ordinance in November in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance, which was approved by a 4-1 vote, will expire at the end of Sunday if it is not extended.
LETTER: Mask littering
To the editor:
There have been several letters published recently discussing the propriety and apparently, the legality of Leavenworth’s mask mandate for private businesses and nonprofits like churches. See, for example, letters from April Cromer and Pat Davidson published Dec. 22. Those opinions seem to fall strangely along political lines rather than based in any real principals of public health or safety.
I am writing not to add to the cacophony of discussion about whether people should be required to wear masks, but rather after wearing their required masks, they should be allowed to casually discard them onto the sidewalks and streets of Leavenworth. In the past few weeks, this potentially deadly form of littering in the community appears to be more and more prevalent either from some strange form of political protest or simple reckless laziness on the part of local citizens.
Group seeking repeal of mask ordinances
A group of local residents are collecting signatures in an attempt to repeal city mask ordinances.
If enough signatures of registered voters are collected, the issue of whether to repeal the mask ordinances for the cities of Leavenworth, Lansing and Tonganoxie could be placed on ballots for a special election.
The governing body for each of the three cities has passed an ordinance that requires people to wear face coverings in public spaces. The ordinances were approved as a way to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.
A countywide mask mandate is not in place for Leavenworth County. County commissioners opted of the governor’s mask order but recommend that people wear masks.