A bill headed to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk would let North Carolina parents allow their K-12 students to opt out of mask mandates set by local education boards. The General Assembly wrapped up voting on the measure Thursday as Cooper held a news conference to announce he was encouraging local governments to end broad mask requirements. He didn't say what he'd do with the bill but said he's got “concerns that it’s unwise and irresponsible.” School districts set their own mask policies, and over half of the state's 115 districts have now agreed to make masks optional as COVID-19 transmission rates are falling.