Kelly Townsend does not want to follow the State Legislature requirement to wear a mask when the Legislative Session reconvenes in January.
The Legislative District (LD) 16 “Republican”-Trumpist State Representative and soon to be State Senator has said:
“I’ve already told them where I stand… What are they going to do? Arrest me?”
One other possible recourse is to block Ms. Townsend from entering the State Senate.
To this option, Ms. Townsend said:
“They’re going to physically block me from the building? Well, that’d be fun.”
Apparently, she would welcome the media attention if these two options were exercised While these options may be appealing to most in this reality, Ms. Townsend and her band of Trump Zone-Fox Island-Disinfowar reactionary zealots would scream baseless charges of persecution and use such an arrest and blockage from the legislature to create chaos and division in their party. With a legislative district filled with residents receptive to her views, it does not matter that Ms. Townsend and her supporters look like fools to everyone else.
Senate Republican President Karen Fann preferred not to comment toward Townsend’s refusal to abide by her requirement to wear masks when everyone reconvenes at the Legislature in January.
Why do the people in LD 16 continually elect a person that routinely drinks from the alt-right Kool-Aid?
Over close to the last two months, Ms. Townsend and the other members of the Republican fringe in the Grand Canyon State have questioned the legitimacy of the election in Arizona (but only at the Presidential level. Other races like hers went well.)
This continues a pattern of behavior for Ms. Townsend as she has continually sought to suppress the vote and exhibited erratic behavior.
The people who govern the state and those who work for them (staffers, pages, maintenance, security) deserve to be in a safe environment where the danger of contracting COVID 19 is minimized at all times.
That includes requiring everyone to wear masks when necessary.
Kelly Townsend, in ignoring this sensible requirement from the Senate President (a member of her own (at least today) political party, is potentially putting the health and lives of others at risk.
Instead of glorifying Republicans in Arizona and other states for not complying with mask requirements, she should be setting a positive example for her constituents by wearing a mask and counseling on the need to take other preventive measures to stem the spread of the Coronavirus.
Photo from Paul Andrews
Townsend’s behavior is similar to Mary Mallon, a person who wanted to continue to work as a domestic servant while she was a carrier for typhoid fever.
Fifty-Three People were infected thanks to Ms. Mallon’s callowness in the early twentieth century and three of them died.
The People running the Arizona State Legislature should not allow Kelly Townsend the opportunity to potentially become the next Typhoid Mary.
Keep her, the other legislators, and staffers away if they refuse to wear masks and respect the safety of others.
Even if it means legally blocking them from the building.
I live in LD16. I’ve said this over and over. If you are Mormon you will be voted in no matter what. You would have to run another mormon against her as a repubican that is more “moderate” to win here. I doubt if most of my neighbors know what goes on in the leg. but they are mormon and always vote for mormon, period.
Kelly Townsend compared vaccinations to communism, showing a deep lack of knowledge of both vaccines and communism.
She’s the quintessential Arizona Republican, aggressively ignorant and a danger to others.
DO NOT allow her into the Senate chamber to be sworn in as State Senator then she wil be evicted from the Capitol like any other AZ Citizen who doesn’t follow any “Rules” of the AZ Capitol Building!
How can Republicans continually elect such odious, ignorant personalities.? She is completely nuts, and has been for years.
She deserves no respect because she risks the health and safety of others. Do not allow her near those that do follow the rules. May karma pay her a visit.