LINCOLN — At his regular coronavirus press conferences, Gov. Pete Ricketts makes a point of urging Nebraskans to wear a mask when they go to a store.
But when it comes to the state’s 93 courthouses and other county offices, he doesn’t want local officials to require masks. In fact, he’s told counties that they won’t receive any of the $100 million in federal COVID-19 money if their “customers” are required to wear masks.
“The governor encourages people to wear a mask,” according to his spokesman Taylor Gage, “but does not believe that failure to wear a mask should be the basis for denying taxpayers’ services.”
The no-mask mandate has been poorly received in some corners of the state, with officials criticizing the loss of local control. It also runs counter to the advice of public health officials, who have stressed the importance of wearing masks.
In Lincoln, the state’s second-largest city, officials were preparing to require all visitors to wear masks when entering the City-County Building. But the draft rules were promptly dropped when officials were informed that Lancaster County wouldn’t receive CARES Act money if it instituted a mask requirement.
Deb Schorr, a longtime Lancaster County Board member and past president of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, said county officials “love local control” and are better informed about conditions in their county, particularly concerning COVID-19. The virus has hammered several parts of Nebraska, even as 18 rural counties have not recorded a single positive case.
But with millions of dollars at stake, local officials said they had little choice but to comply with the governor’s order. Otherwise, they’d have to find local options for replacing the federal money, such as higher property taxes.
“We’d like to have a little bit more ability to call the shots in our courthouse, but we realize that he has the right to set the rules,” Schorr said.
An official in Dakota County was more blunt.
Dakota County Assessor Jeff Curry said he was hoping that a mask requirement could remain in place for the courthouse through July 1. The northeast Nebraska county, home to a Tyson meatpacking plant, has been one of the hardest-hit counties in the nation for COVID-19. Visitors to the courthouse were not only required to wear a mask when entering, but their temperatures also were checked and they were asked a series of questions about coronavirus exposure.
Those health precautions, however, went out the window as of Monday, the date that Ricketts directed government offices to reopen to the public.
Curry said the message from the governor is “you better do what I want you to do.”
“It sure would have been nice to be able to sit down with our health director and County Board and have a conversation about what to do, without being mandated to do it,” he said.
The issue first arose late last month when Ricketts issued a guidance document to counties, advising that if they wanted any of the CARES Act money that was allocated to the state, their offices needed to reopen to the public by June 15.
Of the $2 trillion in spending Congress authorized in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Nebraska received about $1 billion to help offset coronavirus-related costs for states and local governments. A total of $100 million was set aside for counties, cities and utilities, with the governor in charge of doling out the money.
The only exception is Douglas County, which received $166 million to distribute to local entities in the county. The City of Omaha could be eligible to receive a share of both the county and state money.
Ricketts’ CARES Act guidance indicated that counties could set social distancing standards and control access to their buildings, but added: “Customers may be encouraged to wear face coverings, but may not be refused service for failure to do so.”
At a press conference Monday, in answering a question from a Dakota County reporter, Ricketts made it clear that if Dakota County officials didn’t want to adhere to the mask guidance, they could go without CARES Act money.
“Counties are not prohibited from requiring masks, but if they want CARES Act money, they have to be fully open, and that means they cannot deny service for not wearing a mask,” said Gage, the governor’s spokesman.
On Monday, a trio of physicians on the faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center — which has served as an adviser to Ricketts for his COVID-19 response — published a guest opinion piece in The World-Herald urging Nebraskans to wear masks in public places to avoid another surge in infections.
Schorr, the Lancaster County Board member, pointed out that Ricketts gave the State Supreme Court the option to require masks in courtrooms statewide. That, she said, presents a “challenge” for the Lancaster County Hall of Justice, which has courtrooms on the top three floors and other county offices on the first floor.
In Dakota County, visitors can now enter the courthouse mask-free. But Curry said the county instituted new limits on the number of people who can enter the courthouse. That has led to long lines of patrons waiting outside in the hot sun, he said, prompting the county this week to buy shade tents and hand out bottles of water to those in line.
Our best staff images from June 2020
Scurlock Vigil

More than a hundred people gather for a vigil to remember James Scurlock. Tuesday marked one month since the shooting and killing of Scurlock, a 22-year-old black man, by Jake Gardner, a white bar owner, during a protest downtown.
Scurlock Vigil

More than a hundred people gather for a vigil to remember James Scurlock. Tuesday marked one month since the shooting and killing of Scurlock, a 22-year-old black man, by Jake Gardner, a white bar owner, during a protest downtown.
Cleanup

Lasha Goodwin, with the Global Leadership Group, picks up trash on North 24th Street in Omaha on Saturday, June 27, 2020. The North 24th Street Business Improvement District hosted the cleanup event with dozens of people picking up trash from Cuming to Meredith Streets.
Flowers

A vigil left for James Scurlock near 13th and Harney St. in Omaha.
Catching Air

J.J. Greve does a flip as Ilan Perez takes a breather.
Protest

Protesters gather outside Cupcake Omaha in Omaha on Wednesday. They are calling on U.S. Senate candidate Chris Janicek, who owns the bakery, to step down from the race after a series of sexually inappropriate text messages he sent to members of his staff.
Baseball is back

Trey Kobza can't quite catch up to this double in left during the Nebraska Prospects baseball camp at Werner Park on Tuesday, June 23, 2020.
Juneteenth

Daric Heard of Bellevue, one of the organizers of the Juneteenth festival in Omaha.
Juneteenth

Philip Brown performs as JbreedTheRebel with Entertainment during the Juneteenth Festival in Omaha.
Juneteenth

A group prays during a Juneteenth prayer gathering on Friday in Omaha.
Ball Hawk

A red tailed hawk has taken residence as TD Ameritrade sits empty because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hello Teddy

An oversized teddy bear sits at the front window of a house in Omaha last week.
CWS Silent

A parking lot normally full of fans and vendors for the College World Series this time of years is empty as Omaha feels the economic impact from the cancellation of the tournament.
Lake Walk

People walk along a trail around Wehrspann Lake at Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Omaha on Tuesday.
Sun

The sun shines over Hanscom Park in Omaha on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The first half of June in Omaha was the second-hottest on record.
Remember

From top, Wendy Pfeifer, Julie Odermatt, Tonja Minardi and Amy Barth show their matching tattoos at Artists Unbound in Omaha. The mothers each lost a daughter, Addisyn, Kloe, Alex and Abby in a June 17, 2019, car crash. The wreck also severely injured a fifth girl. Each mother got a matching tattoo with four hearts to represent the four girls.
New Paint

Margaret Miller paints her family’s home in Auburn, Neb., on Monday, June 15, 2020.
You will not beat Nebraska

Johnson’s Gas-N-Go outside Union, Nebraska, in Cass County, has a message for COVID-19 that all Nebraskans can get behind.
LGBTQA

A pride flag flies beneath a Union Pacific flag in front of the company’s headquarters in downtown Omaha on Monday.
Black Lives Matter

Nikita Jackson blows bubbles during a Black Lives Matter Cookout at Benson Park on Saturday, June 13, 2020.
Miss you CWS

The Clanton family, from left: Todd, Lena, Ella, Mattie and LeAnn, get their photo taken by the kids's grandmother Marvetta Tate in front of Road to Omaha sculpture on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Saturday would have been the opening day of the College World Series. The Clantons are from Brandenburg, Kentucky and were on a road-trip and stopped by the sculpture.
Rally

Marchers walk east down Dodge Street towards Memorial park during a rally to remember James Scurlock on Sunday, June 07, 2020.
Protest

Omaha police push a woman out of the street as she was protesting at 72nd and Dodge Streets on Friday, May 29, 2020. People were protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Hug

James Scurlock II hugs Nicole Myles at the Malcom X Memorial Foundation after talking to the media about the death of James's son James Scurlock, on Sunday, May 31, 2020. He was killed during a protest the night before by Jake Gardner.
Rally

Larry Duncan asks people to put their hands and theirs hearts up during a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Sunday, May 31, 2020.
Fire

A cat peers out of a burned house at 2853 Vane St., on Monday, June 01, 2020. One person died in the fire on Sunday. Damage was seen to two houses and a detached garage.
Police

Law enforcement line up on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday, May 31, 2020. A protester was shot and killed Saturday night by a civilian. An 8 p.m. curfew went into effect Sunday, and the Nebraska National Guard was called in to assist with protests.
Protest

Tear gas is fired at protesters who used road closed signs as barricades looking south on 13th Street near Jones Street on the third day or protests on Sunday, May 31, 2020. They were protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Protest

Protestors and law enforcement face-off on 13th Street in downtown Omaha on Sunday as the 8PM curfew nears.
Protester

A protester walks ahead of advancing law enforcement after the 8 p.m. curfew in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest

A portrait of James Scurlock is held during a protest on Sunday in downtown Omaha. Scurlock was shot and killed late Saturday night during a protest in Omaha.
Police

A man is arrested on 13th Street in Omaha after the 8 p.m. curfew on Sunday.
Tear Gas

Tear gas canisters land near protestors on 13th Street in Omaha on Sunday after the 8 p.m. curfew.
Police

Law enforcement officers turn vehicles away from downtown Omaha on Sunday after the 8 p.m. curfew.
Protests

People protest for the fourth day in a row in Omaha on Monday, June 01, 2020. It was announced Monday that the bar owner who shot and killed James Scurlock amid a protest on Saturday will face no charges.
March

A crowd demonstrate at 13th and Howard Streets during a fourth day of protests in Omaha on Monday, June 01, 2020.
Protests

People watch the police response from the roof the of the Paxton building during a fourth day of protests in Omaha on Monday, June 01, 2020.
Flower

A flower on a sidewalk as National Guard troops and Omaha police stand at the corner of 13th and Howard in downtown Omaha on Monday.
Protests

A group chants for James Scurlock during a demonstration on Tuesday at City Hall in downtown Omaha.
Flowers

Flowers rest on a traffic barrel blocking off 14th Street on Tuesday in Omaha.
Protester

Iggy holds a sign on Tuesday in downtown Omaha with the final words of several black men and women who were killed by police.
Protests

Sydnee Harris, of Omaha, and dozens of others protest outside the Omaha Douglas Civic Center in Omaha on Wednesday, June 03, 2020.
Sen. Ernie Chambers

Sen. Ernie Chambers speaks to dozens of people protesting outside the Omaha Douglas Civic Center in Omaha on Wednesday, June 03, 2020.
March

Tyreece Johnson, of Omaha, and dozens of other people march from the Omaha Douglas Civic Center to the Old Market in Omaha on Wednesday, June 03, 2020. James Scurlock, a 22-year-old black man, was shot and killed in the Old Market on Saturday night by a white bar owner.
Mural

Nicole Baker helps her two-year-old son Atlas Ebel paint in the letters on a mural of James Scurlock on the side of Culprit Cafe & Bakery at 1603 Farnam St. on Thursday, June 04, 2020.
March

Hundreds of people attend a vigil and march to remember Zachary BearHeels ending at 60th and Center in Omaha on Friday, June 05, 2020. BearHeels died three years ago after being tased by Omaha Police officers.
Rally

People cheer at Memorial park during a rally to remember James Scurlock on Sunday, June 07, 2020.
March

Marchers walk east down Dodge Street towards Memorial park during a rally to remember James Scurlock on Sunday, June 07, 2020.
Rally

A crowd moves along Dodge Street on a march to Memorial Park for a solidarity rally on Sunday in Omaha.
March

A woman holds a "History has its eyes on you" sign while marching up the hill at Memorial Park for a solidarity rally on Sunday in Omaha.
Rally

Terrell McKinney, Leo Louis II and J Shannon hold their fists in the air with the crowd during a solidarity rally on Sunday at Memorial Park in Omaha.
Rally

James Scurlock II salutes the crowd during a solidarity rally on Sunday at Memorial Park in Omaha.
Zoo

People watch the elephants at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha on Sunday, June 07, 2020.This was the first weekend the zoo reopened to guests after closing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Black Lives Matter

Paige Reitz sets Black Lives Matter posters on the floor of the Wanda D. Ewing Gallery for people to pick up at The Union For Contemporary Art on Wednesday, June 03, 2020.
Rainbow

A rainbow appears over a farm field east of Tecumseh, Nebraska after severe storms blew through the area on Tuesday, June 09, 2020.
Splash Pad

Bear Drinkall, 5, of Omaha, plays at the Westwood Heights Park splash pad in Omaha on Thursday, June 11, 2020.
paul.hammel@owh.com, 402-473-9584