FOR RELEASEDecember 21, 2021Contact: press@mtgop.orgHELENA, Mont. – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and 23 other state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Biden’s nonsensical mandate requiring toddlers to wear masks and Head Start teachers and volunteers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.Montana Republican Party Chairman Don “K” Kaltschmidt released the following statement in response to the action:“Joe Biden has foisted unlawful mandate after unlawful mandate onto Montanans, but our Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, is fighting back. He’s won court victories against three different COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and Montana families who use Head Start programs will be watching this case closely. Montana families deserve better and I’m grateful Attorney General Knudsen and other Republicans are fighting to stop this executive overreach.”There are 20 Head Start programs around Montana that provide services to children 3 to 5 years of age and their families, with the goal of increasing school readiness of children from low-income families.Attorney General Knudsen has won court victories temporarily blocking the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private businesses with more than 100 employees, federal contractors and their employees, and medical workers. The injunction against the private employer mandate was overturned by a higher court, but AG Knudsen and others have filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.Earlier this month, U.S Senator Steve Daines called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to rescind the Head Start mask and vaccine mandate.
