The title of the Wall Street Journal article reads: Firms Seek Government Mask Mandate.  It seems that some companies are asking their state governments to do what California’s Gavin Newsom and Washington’s (sleepy) Jay Inslee have done-issue statewide requirements that all persons wear face coverings when outside their homes.  The Journal says:

Rules vary by state and even by municipality, and some executives have said the issue would be simpler if the government ordered them to require masks so they could tell reluctant customers that they are simply abiding by regulations.

It seems that most big US airlines have been requiring all passengers to wear masks for months, but they would still like the Feds to make it a rule.  They don’t want flight attendants to get into arguments with passengers who remove masks in flight, and

a federal requirement that passengers wear masks in flight would make it easier for airlines to enforce their policies, according to some airline executives and union representatives. “If the government were to mandate it, I think that would help“, Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in an interview with Axios. “If the government mandates it, then you can enforce it.”

Las Vegas casino workers have called on Nevada to mandate mask-wearing.  What a shame, that they have to fear their customers.

The biggest shame is that corporations are literally inviting the government into their companies, to set rules of behavior for their customers.  Normally, most big companies chafe at all the government rules and regulations they have to follow, but obviously not this time.

If I were they, I would be very careful of what they are asking, because once the government has its nose under their tent, they may look forward to more government rules that they did NOT want.