Missouri Supreme Court will decide if counties can appeal ruling striking down COVID orders

After a Cole County judge invalidated the health powers of local governments in 2021, then-attorney general Eric Schmitt decided not to appeal the case. Local governments, who had used their authority to issue pandemic restrictions such as mask mandates, want the right to defend them in court.
The Missouri Supreme Court is considering a case that sharply curtailed the authority of local health officials to address public health emergencies.

The high court heard arguments in the case Wednesday, most of which focused on the right of local governments to appeal the case, even though they were not a party to the initial lawsuit. The court will issue its ruling at a later date.

In December 2020, a group of St. Louis County residents and business owners upset with local COVID-19-related restrictions sued the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. They alleged the state regulations that the county was using to issue those restrictions were invalid.