Local state lawmakers weigh in on results of mask mandate ban special session

During this week’s special session, state legislators did not change the mask mandate ban.

“I feel that we got nothing accomplished this special session,” Rep. Monte Hodges (D-Blytheville) said. “We’ve been elected to make sometimes hard decisions, but this wasn’t the case. We see the rapid rise in the delta variant and I feel thar we turned a blind eye to it. With all that being said, I was in support of giving school the control to mandate mask.”

Rep. Johnny Rye (R-Trumann) said the session ended on Friday, and he tried to put a five percent threshold to create an emergency to help the schools like Marion with large numbers of Covid-19 cases  but it did not get heard.

“If you can’t get it on the floor, it can’t get passed,” Rep. Rye said.

Rep. Rye said only one bill got through, the workforce unemployment bill, which allows only regular unemployment payments with nothing additional. There were about seven bills left hanging when the Senate closed the special session. Senator Dave Wallace (R-Leachville) said it was a good special session and the senate  considered numerous bills. He was pleased with how it ended on Friday.

“The workforce bill passed will help get people back to work and especially help our small businesses,” Wallace said. “Numerous bills came up. We left the original mask ban bill in place giving every parent the right to decide to mask or not mask their child. I do encourage everyone to take the vaccination shot. Statistics show 97 percent of the Covid-19 patients in the hospitals are unvaccinated. The vaccinations do work.”