The New York State Supreme Court on Monday struck down the Hochul Administration’s statewide mask mandate as unconstitutional and a violation of state law. Judge Thomas Rademaker of Nassau County wrote in his decision Monday the Governor does not have the authority to impose the mandate and the state legislature would have to debate and approve laws requiring masks in schools and other places. Last month, Governor Kathy Hochul enacted the mandate amid an increase in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.