Missouri attorney general promises to sue over upcoming Kansas City mask mandate

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said Wednesday he will sue to overturn Kansas City’s new mask mandate, his second legal challenge of new mask orders in the state.

Schmitt is already suing to stop new mandates in the St. Louis area. On Wednesday, he asked for a temporary restraining order in that case, which would allow him to get in front of a judge quickly to seek an immediate halt to mask mandates in the area.

Schmitt’s promise to sue came before the details of the mandate had even been announced. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Tuesday night the city would impose a new mandate, with more information to follow on Wednesday.

“To the great people of Kansas City: I will be filing a lawsuit to protect your freedoms,” Schmitt, who is running for U.S. Senate, tweeted. “This mask mandate is about politics & control, not science. You are not subjects but citizens of what has been the freest country in the world & I will always fight for you.”

Lucas, a Democrat who has weighed a Senate campaign, quickly responded by challenging Schmitt to a debate on Fox News.

“Dude, the order hasn’t even been filed yet. What are you suing about?” Lucas tweeted.

Schmitt filed suit Monday against St. Louis City and County over new mandates there, shedding light on the arguments he’s likely to make in his Kansas City challenge. He called those mandates a “continuation of a series of arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional COVID-19 related restrictions.”

He also condemned mask mandates for school children. Kansas City Public Schools is expected to require all students, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks during the upcoming school year.

The St. Louis County Council voted Tuesday night to repeal the county’s mandate, but County Executive Sam Page maintains the council action isn’t binding. St. Louis City’s mandate remains in effect.