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DES MOINES, Iowa -- A federal judge is blocking an Iowa state law that bans school districts from enacting their own face mask mandates.
In his ruling Monday, Judge Robert Pratt says the law increases the risk of young children with health conditions contracting COVID-19.
Pratt also says he agrees with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics that mask wearing in schools can reduce spread of COVID-19.
Several Iowa parents, a group advocating for the rights of those with intellectual disabilities, and the ACLU of Iowa filed a suit against the state.
Governor Kim Reynolds says the judge "unilaterally overturned a state law and ignored the decision by our elected legislature."
She says the state will appeal the ruling.