The Florida Department of Education is hell-bent on enforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on school mask mandates, even if it means stripping salaries. Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said Friday the department would hold the pay of school board members in Broward and Alachua counties unless they ended their mask mandates by Monday. “It is important to remember that this issue is about ensuring local school board members, elected politicians, follow the law,” he said, according to the Miami Herald. “These public officials have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida. We cannot have government officials pick and choose what laws they want to follow.”

The state body held an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss the counties’ actions, which were later followed by mandates in Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties. The Alachua County School Board also extended its mandate for eight weeks. The Biden administration said it would support school districts with mask mandates even if they faced reprisals, potentially taking those governors to court.