County Judge Clay Jenkins (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)

If the governor doesn’t want his opinion, he shouldn’t ask for it, because Clay is going to offer his polite, but fact-based, opinion.

— David Taffet

Statement from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins:

“I don’t want to quarrel with the Governor. Sunday night, the Governor’s staff asked me: “Do you have any idea what is specifically causing the increase?”

I answered: “Yes. Increased activity and human contact. Loosening of masking and social distancing. Both brought about by the Governor’s decisions to accelerate opening and limit our local ability to enforce recommendations from Governor or medical experts.”

He may have been offended by my honesty.

Let’s be clear about masking. No one could be jailed for not wearing a mask under my or the City of Dallas’ orders. Rather, we made requirements out of the Governor’s recommendations only to have his attorney Ken Paxton write us a letter demanding we rescind our efforts and saying they didn’t want the Governor’s recommendations enforced or checked on. I’m simply asking the Governor to lead on the masking requirement the medical experts say is the single most important thing we can do right now to prevent spread or allow local governments to lead on this important issue. I am pleased that other local leaders will also be calling on the Governor to either require masks through gubernatorial action or allow local governments to make that decision for their communities.”