Sanders Reverses Official Position of the Governor on the Constitutionality of Arkansas’ Ban on Mask Mandates by Public Entities

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she is reversing the official position of the governor on the constitutionality of Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates by public entities. 

“Yesterday, I reversed the official position of the governor on the constitutionality of Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates by public entities,” Sanders said. “I have asked the Attorney General to resume representing the office in this capacity. I promised that when I was elected, Arkansas would not have mask or COVID-19 vaccine mandates and we would not shut down churches and schools because we believe in personal freedom and responsibility. Arkansans need to talk with their medical professionals, with their doctors, and make the decisions that are best for their family and their kids. I promised in my inaugural address that here in Arkansas government would never loom larger than liberty in our lives. I stand for freedom and it’s time to get back to normal.”

“Governor Sanders expressed her belief in the constitutionality of Arkansas’ ban on government mask mandates,” Attorney General Tim Griffin said. “The Governor requested that my office represent her in this case. We look forward to the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision in the coming weeks.”

“I have been advised that Governor Sanders has reversed the executive branch’s position on the constitutionality of Arkansas’s ban on mask mandates by public entities,” Speaker Matthew Shepherd said. “I welcome this development and believe it is consistent with the proper Constitutional authority of the legislative branch, which as Speaker of the House I have always sought to preserve.”

“I fully support Governor Sanders reversing the previous position of the Governor’s office regarding the constitutionality of the Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates by public entities,” Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester said. “The General Assembly adopted, and the previous Governor rightly signed, this legislation into law to safeguard our citizens from overreach and heavy-handed mask mandates. Protecting Arkansans and defending their freedoms is a top priority that we share with Governor Sanders. It is time that Arkansas gets back to normal.”