DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Wednesday) announced she has appealed a district court ruling issued yesterday that allows school districts to impose universal mask mandates, despite a state law passed and signed into law in May 2021.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated an injunction that had halted the state law from going into effect, noting that COVID-19 conditions in the classroom have changed significantly since the beginning of the pandemic. But because the lawsuit was not dismissed entirely, the case returned to the district court for further litigation.

“As I’ve said all along, whether a child wears a mask to school is up to the parents, not the government,” said Gov. Reynolds. “I will appeal this ruling so that Iowa families have the right to decide what’s best for their children.”