Simone Hetherington, a speaker during public comment, urges lawmakers not to pass the masking bill during the state Senate Rules Committee in the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Hetherington told lawmakers she is immunocompromised and is concerned how the bill would impact her ability to wear a mask in public. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)
Rep. Erin Pare, the only Republican who represents part of Wake County, asks the North Carolina House of Representatives not to concur on a bill that would remove a masking health exemption on the House floor in the Legislative Building on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. The bill, which also enhances penalties for people who wear a mask while committing a crime, will go to a conference committee to negotiate revisions. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)