These policies more often than not come from the state level, and are set by the governor or unelected bureaucrats in state departments of health. Washington and Oregon are threatening local school boards which try to set their own non-hysterical policies with fines, loss of teaching licenses, and loss of state & federal funding.

This is absolutely correct. These policies are being driven by unelected bureaucrats in Oregon Health Authority working with the Oregon Department of Education. And there are fines for failure to comply. https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/...

Then organize and lobby the governor to overrule them. Unelected beaurocrats should not have broad power like this.

My point is to put pressure on the people in power, not to blindly follow and then just mutter under your breath that you’re mad. They do not give a single crap if people are mad unless their power is threatened. Stand up for yourselves for crying out loud.

Many, including my family, are doing what you suggest. Unfortunately, Oregon has a lame duck Governor who does not seem to feel terribly accountable to the electorate. There are more fireworks to come. We’ll see.