RICHMOND, Va. — A bipartisan majority in the Virginia Senate has voted to advance legislation that would ban public school systems from imposing mask requirements on students.
The move comes as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's efforts to end mask mandates by executive order are bogged down in legal challenges.
Democratic Sen. Chap Petersen, a moderate who has played a key role on education issues, sponsored the amendment on the Senate floor Tuesday. It passed on a 29-9 vote, with Republicans fully in support and Democrats about evenly divided.
The bill still requires a final vote in the Senate and the House of Delegates.
Youngkin said he will sign it if it passes.