The Supreme Court of South Carolina ruled unanimously on Thursday in favor of legislation prohibiting local school districts from using state money to enforce mask mandates. “Specifically, the ordinances’ enforcement provisions unequivocally place the responsibility to enforce the mask mandate on school personnel, forcing school employees to choose between violating either state or local law,” the court stated. The ruling (pdf) also invalidates an ordinance implemented by Columbia City Council that required students and staff to wear face coverings while on K–12 school grounds. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a press release: “We appreciate the court’s quick ruling and its confirmation of our legal arguments. The court emphasized what we’ve been saying all along that we are not arguing mask policy, we argued rule of law. The court has confirmed that a city ordinance cannot conflict with state law.” Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who pushed for the mandates, …