New York City county signs first face covering ban into law

The first ban on face coverings in the United States was signed into law in New York City on Wednesday following concerns about their use during protests and criminal activity.

The Nassau County law, signed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, is intended to prevent crime and was introduced after violent protests unfolded at Columbia University earlier this year over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Many of the protesters wore face coverings in order to conceal their identity, as they feared punishment for vandalism and political stances that, in many instances, were deemed antisemitic.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) floated the idea of a similar mask ban on the New York City subway system in June after antisemitic incidents, but no such plan was enacted at the time.

The Nassau County bill was passed along party lines. The 12 Republicans in the legislature voted in favor, and the seven Democrats abstained, which makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone wearing a face covering to hide their identity. The law does include exemptions for health and religious reasons.

Blakeman, a Republican, said the law “protects the public” and stressed the bipartisan interest in it.

“Mayor Eric Adams has been very vocal that he’d like the New York City Council to pass a similar legislation,” he said.

However, local Democrats were quick to criticize the bill. Nassau County Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton called it “political theater.”

“It’s deeply disappointing that Blakeman and his Republican colleagues chose to ignore any opportunity for bipartisan compromise or even consider the Democratic bill — a bill that upholds the rule of law, offers a fairer approach for residents and imposes firmer penalties on actual offenders,” she said.

The New York Civil Liberties Union also slammed the bill and emphasized its alleged infringement on free speech rights.

“Masks protect people who express political opinions that are controversial,” Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County regional director of the NYCLU, said in a statement.

Blakeman was quick to cast that notion aside.

“This is not an abridgment of anybody’s rights. Nobody has a constitutional right to hide their identity in public,” he said.