All of Indiana’s neighboring states are following a responsible, fact-based approach out of COVID-19, Gov. Holcomb choses to govern by politics 

Economist Micah Pollak: “the 7-day average of daily new cases is back up over 1,000/day again and rising…Hospitalizations are up too.”

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today expressed disappointment with Governor Eric Holcomb for buckling to politics and ending Indiana’s mask mandate and other protections used to keep Hoosiers healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Holcomb chose to ignore warnings by health experts and economists by deciding to rush Indiana out of the pandemic too soon, a decision that will ultimately get more Hoosiers sick. What’s worse, all of Indiana’s neighboring states are still abiding by a mask mandate, leaving Indiana on its own.

Since March 3, The Indiana Democratic Party has called for Governor Holcomb to put his politics aside and responsibly manage the state through the remainder of this pandemic. However, the Governor put the Indiana Republican Party’s unnecessary partisanship first. Ending the mask mandate was simply the culmination of political decisions Holcomb has made during COVID-19. This extreme partisanship is why Hoosiers are losing trust in the Indiana Republican Party.  

As a refresher, here’s a sampling of how unpopular Eric Holcomb’s politics have become: 

Tweet by Karen Francisco, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Micah Pollak, Associate Professor of Economics at IU Northwest: “I think removing the mask mandate and other restrictions next week is more likely to hurt #Indiana’s economy than help it.”

Fox19 (Cincinnati): “Kentucky’s Beshear says he will ask Gov. Holcomb personally to not get rid of Indiana’s mask mandate.”

Anderson Herald-Bulletin Column: State sending mixed signals on pandemic precautions

Associated Press: Indiana to lift mask mandate amid concern: ‘We’re not ready’

IndyStar: ‘A bad move’: Health experts say Gov. Eric Holcomb is ending Indiana mask mandate too soon

WCPO (Cincinnati): “[Business owner Michael] Keith said he’ll continue to follow scientists’ advice over politicians’: “We’ll still try to keep six feet apart. We’re doing masks, making sure everybody wears masks when they come in.”

Terre Haute Tribune-Star: “Given the uptick in cases statewide and the Biden administration’s pleas, the governor would be wise to postpone the easing of the mask mandate.” 

IndyStar Column: Governor’s decision to end Indiana’s mask mandate is flat-out dumb

“Out of all of Holcomb’s inexplicable pandemic decisions, this one is the most blatantly political. There is no explanation for why two weeks from now is the right time to end the mandate until you remember that some of the people taking the greatest offense to masks happen to be Republican lawmakers who’ve been threatening Holcomb and other public officials.  

Holcomb, when asked in September about whether lawmakers would be required to wear masks during the Indiana General Assembly session, said they “rule their own roost.” It turns out that their domain extends well beyond the Statehouse…”

Indianapolis Business Journal Editorial: Move to ease virus restrictions is reason for some concern

South Bend Tribune Editorial: Indiana’s governor has advice, not an order, on masks. Will anyone listen?

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