- A Republican state lawmaker posted a photo of a
handgun next to pocket-size Constitution in response toIndiana GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb'smask mandate. - "What if I don't comply, Governor Eric Holcomb?," state Rep. Jim Lucas wrote in his Facebook post with the photo.
- Other GOP officials including the state attorney general also questioned the legality of the executive order, which goes in effect on July 27.
- The conservative lawmaker has previously drawn criticism over other controversial social media posts.
An Indiana Republican state lawmaker posted a photo of a .45-caliber handgun on Thursday evening in response to Gov. Eric Holcomb's mask mandate announced a day earlier.
"Starting Monday, the governor wants to lock me in a cage for 180 days and fine me $1,000 if I don't wear a mask that has no published standards for effectiveness," Jim Lucas, who has served his southern district since 2012, wrote on Facebook. "What if I don't comply, Governor Eric Holcomb?"
The post of the handgun next to a pamphlet of the Constitution quickly drew attention, to which Lucas later updated to add: "For those that are blowing this out of proportion (again), this picture IS NOT a threat against anyone!"
"It is a picture that I have used countless times for years that best exhibits our FREEDOM and Constitutional rights and IS NOT A THREAT!," the post reads, which has since been made unavailable to view.
Holcomb, a Republican, issued the mask-wearing requirement as a result of an ongoing rise in coronavirus cases in the state. On Thursday, Indiana reported its highest one-day spike since the pandemic began, with a total of 954 new cases. The last daily record was on April 26, when 946 people were confirmed positive.
"Face-coverings can — and will — help us blunt this increase. It has in other places around the country, indeed, around the world," Holcomb said in a briefing on Wednesday. "This is time-sensitive now."
Holcomb signaled the order is being implemented to help tackle the surge in advance of the upcoming school year.
"We have, as Hoosiers, worked very hard to get to where we are today," the governor added. "We want to keep it that way."
Other GOP officials in the state, including Attorney General Curtis Hill, also criticized the legality of the executive order, which takes effect on July 27 and requires anyone aged 8 and older to wear a face-covering in public indoor spaces. Violations would result in a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and up to six months in jail.
Lucas said he plans to draft legislation to "rescind this level of power, as one person was never intended to have this much power in a constitutional republic," he shared on Facebook.
It's not the first time Lucas has come under scrutiny for questionable social media posts. Earlier this year, the state lawmaker was removed from two committees and demoted after he had posted a racist meme of Black children dancing with the words "We gon' get free money!"
His office did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.