Arkansas governor plans to talk mask law with legislators today

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a town hall meeting July 15 in Texarkana, Ark. Facing growing vaccine hesitancy, governors in states hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic are asking federal regulators to grant full approval to the shots in the hope that will persuade more people to get them. The governors of Arkansas and Ohio have appealed in recent days for full approval as virus cases and hospitalizations skyrocket in their states.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a town hall meeting July 15 in Texarkana, Ark. Facing growing vaccine hesitancy, governors in states hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic are asking federal regulators to grant full approval to the shots in the hope that will persuade more people to get them. The governors of Arkansas and Ohio have appealed in recent days for full approval as virus cases and hospitalizations skyrocket in their states.

With Arkansas' coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continuing to surge, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that he plans to talk with legislative leaders today about the law that will prohibit public schools and other government entities from requiring people to wear masks when it takes effect Wednesday.

"I think from a conservative standpoint, you certainly can make the point that local school districts ought to be able to make their own decisions as to what is in the best health of their students," Hutchinson said during a discussion with residents in Mountain Home about the coronavirus vaccines.

The governor's comments came as the number of people hospitalized with covid-19 in Arkansas jumped Monday by 61, to 980, its highest level since late January, while the state's count of cases rose by 621.

The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by 23, to 6,077.

It was the largest one-day increase in the toll since March 12.

With the start of the 2021-22 school year for public schools weeks away, some Democratic lawmakers last week called for a legislative session to lift Act 1002's ban on government mask mandates.

House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said Monday that they were having conversations with other legislators to gauge their interest in addressing the matter.

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