Shortly after a downstate judge threw Pritzker’s mask mandates into question, a bipartisan committee voted against reimposing another K-12 school mask mandate.

The Illinois State Board of Education might have overstepped its authority by yanking recognition of schools that defied a statewide mask mandate. State lawmakers have asked the board to clarify those rules.

Illinois public health administrators joined the CDC’s calls for masks in all elementary and high schools, although school districts have the final say. They recommend most Illinoisans, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, should be masking in indoor public spaces.