Regarding the recent letter from the Department of Education, the United Utah Party agrees with Governor Cox in the belief that the federal government is too far removed to effectively administer mask mandates. However, with that belief, we also believe that state legislatures are too far removed to make those decisions as well. "Their plan to allow county commissioners and councils to declare mask mandates warps issues of public health and children’s safety into an unfortunate game of political maneuvering,"; says UUP Chair Hillary Stirling.