Today, Travis County District Judge Lora Livingston ruled in favor of the City of Austin and denied the Temporary Injunction filed by the Texas Attorney General. 
 
Austin Mayor Steve Adler said the following:
 
“For however long the City’s Mask Mandate is in effect, our community is more safe because the message is clear that masking works and is effective. Just the court’s delayed ruling, being in force during this past spring break, has been a victory for doctors and data over politics.”
 
“Today’s court ruling is not what’s most important.  We shouldn’t wear masks because of laws or orders, but because they work.  Our community has control and can and should continue to make the decision to wear and require masks because it’s the right thing to do. This push to continue masking has never been about laws and enforcement, it’s about communicating a culture of common decency and concern for one another, our businesses, and our community at-large.”
 
“Abbott’s decision to remove the mask mandate puts politics over people, rhetoric over the effort to further open, and keep open, schools and businesses. Since Governor Abbott issued his executive order ending pandemic mask mandates, the city of Austin has lost four scheduled conferences because of attendee health concerns.”
 
“We will continue to follow the doctors and the data that urge individuals and businesses alike to continue to mask until everyone is vaccinated, because it’s the right thing to do.”
 
“The pandemic mortality rate for Austin is less than half that of the State average (and national average).  We are enjoying that success because our community will do what it takes to protect lives and to best recover, and that means continued masking. Please continue to #MaskUpATX; we are so close to enjoying a return to more normal lives.”