SMITH COUNTY, Texas — Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran says he will opt in to Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order and allow bars within the county to reopen on October 14.
On Wednesday, October 7, Governor Abbott issued his most recent Executive Order, GA-32, which provided authority to individual County Judges to open up bars to 50 percent capacity in counties that have 15 percent or less capacity of COVID-19 cases in local hospitals. Smith County falls within this qualifying category.
Judge Moran says will unquestionably “opt in” so that local bars can reopen to the fullest extent permitted under the Governor’s GA-32 Order, which is set to become effective as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14.
Upon seeing the Governor’s Order, Judge Moran welcomed the ability to exercise some local authority over the Coronavirus response, noting that since April 30, all control over the pandemic response and related restrictions have emanated from the Governor’s office in Austin.
“I am thankful for this opportunity to exercise local discretion to provide a pathway for our bars to get back to business as quickly as possible and to the fullest extent possible," Judge Moran said. I am hopeful that more local discretion is provided in the future, so we can forge our own pathway forward here in Smith County.”
