Alaska borough attorneys refute claim of mask mandate powers

KENAI, Alaska (AP) — Some Alaska borough attorneys have refuted a claim by the state’s top lawyer that boroughs can enact mask mandates in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Peninsula Clarion reported attorneys representing second-class boroughs in the state sent a letter to Alaska Acting Attorney General Ed Sniffen, who has said municipalities can mandate face masks using their disaster powers. The letter described specific laws prohibiting second-class boroughs from enacting mask mandates in response to a pandemic. The letter was signed by attorneys for the Aleutians East, Bristol Bay, Fairbanks North Star, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island and Matanuska-Susitna boroughs.