Lawsuit over St. Louis mask rules sent back to state court
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal judge says state courts should handle a lawsuit to overturn St. Louis-area mask mandates.
Judge Stephen Clark of the Eastern Missouri U.S. District Court on Sunday sent the case back to state court.
Missouri's Republican attorney general last week filed a lawsuit in state court over the new mask mandates in St. Louis city and county.
Lawyers for county and city officials later asked a federal judge to take up the case.
But Clark says the issue deals with state laws on local health orders. He says local judges should be the ones to decide the case.