GOP states move to block school mask mandates Students wear masks they work in a fourth-grade classroom at Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) OAN Newsroom UPDATED 8:00 PM PT – Friday, July 16, 2021 At least eight states have passed legislation blocking K-12 schools and college campuses from requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. The GOP-led states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. Of those states including Arizona, Arkansas and Oklahoma, mask mandates for schools have not been enforced. In addition, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) passed legislation that would keep public schools from enforcing mask rules.