OKC Mask Mandate Fails In City Council Vote After Heated Debate

Oklahoma City's City Council voted down a proposed mask ordinance after a heated debate where Mayor David Holt threatened to have police remove people from the chamber.

The vote was 4 to 5.

Councilors James Cooper, Nikki Nice, JoBeth Hamon and Holt voted for the mask ordinance proposal.

Of the 25 people who spoke at the meeting, only three supported the mask mandate.

Many pointed to the extremely high survival rate for those with a COVID infection.

“You don’t have the power,” one resident told the City Council when talking about the possible mask mandate.

Before the vote, the mayor warned that those making outbursts would be escorted by police out of the City Hall chambers.

Councilman Bradley Carter questioned the importance of the vaccines and questioned the credentials on Oklahoma City-County Health Department CEO Phil Maytubby, who supports wearing a mask right now.

Maytubby said one day this week, Oklahoma had the 4th highest positivity rate in the country.

The council also rejected a proposal to use city funds to promote COVID-19 vaccines.

That also failed 4 to 5.

Holt told News 9 a mayoral proclamation to enforce a mask mandate would be an attempt to overthrown the will of City Council and would be illegal.