Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack on Tuesday announced that his department will not enforce the State of Alabama’s current “Safer-At-Home” order.
Baldwin County is the largest county in the state by area and the fifth-largest by population. The county is notably home to Alabama’s beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast.
Mack made the announcement in a video posted to his Facebook page.
He warned that other agencies can still enforce the state health order in areas of his jurisdiction, such as local police departments and the Alabama Department of Health. Mack said his department will not, however, take any action against businesses or churches in violation of the order, which went into effect on April 30 at 5:00 p.m. and expires on May 15 at 5:00 p.m.
The Baldwin County sheriff further advised that on Monday he wrote a letter to Ivey asking her to alter the “Safer-At-Home” order immediately.
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Mack became at least the third sheriff in the state to announce his respective department will not enforce the current state health order, following Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon and Lamar County Sheriff Hal Allred.
The Baldwin County sheriff is widely considered one of the state’s most prominent local Republican elected officials, with his endorsement being coveted in Alabama’s First Congressional District. Mack also joins a growing list of elected officials such as Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL) and State Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy) in calling on Governor Kay Ivey’s administration to immediately reopen more of the state and its economy.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn