KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The return of mask mandates in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, have spurred lawsuits from the state's attorney general.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced his lawsuit against Kansas City after learning of KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas' plan to bring back indoor mask mandates.
On Twitter, Schmitt said the mayor's mandate "is about politics and control, not science."
Mayor Lucas said Schmitt is trying to pick a political fight.
"As we all know anybody who says they're playing politics is usually themselves playing politics," Lucas said.
Schmitt, a Republican, is running in a crowded race for the retiring Sen. Roy Blunt's seat in the U.S. Senate.
Jason Grill, a public policy and affairs consultant, said Schmitt's recent actions as AG could appeal to some Missouri voters.
"It could help him kind of get support from his base of voters," said Grill.
Grill added that the pandemic is forcing elected leaders to make tough choices that could impact their careers for better or worse.
"It has become kind of a political hot potato at times throughout this journey," Grill said. "I believe that's kind of unfortunate that it has become that."
"It's annoying that we let politics make us feel like we're against each other, where it should be like a more unified front," Kansas City resident Stella Spesia said.
David Grinstad is visiting Kansas City from California, and he thinks it's impossible for politicians and their disputes to not have an impact on decisions surrounding the pandemic.
"The politicians are trying to go by the best thing for the all the people, so they're putting in their two cents worth and what they feel is necessary," Grinstad said. "That's politics."
