Suburban New York county bans masks meant to hide people’s identities

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A suburban New York county has officially banned people from wearing masks in public except for health or religious reasons. The shift comes as authorities seek to stop violent protesters from obscuring their identities. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the bill on Wednesday. He called the legislation a “bill that protects the public.” The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public. Civil libertarians have criticized the mask ban as an infringement on First Amendment rights and an invitation to inequitable enforcement.