Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Tuesday said he regrets signing into law a ban that prevents state and local governments from implementing mask mandates. The walkback comes as Arkansas experiences one of the worst surges of COVID-19 cases in the country and infections spike among children aged 12 and under who are unable to get vaccinated, reports Newsweek and Little Rock's THV 11.
Hutchinson said he signed Act 1002 into law a few months ago because "cases were at a low point" and he "knew that it would be overridden by the legislature" if he didn't. But "everything has changed now, and yes, in hindsight, I wish that had not become law."
Now, the governor has asked the general assembly to amend the law so local school districts with students under 12 can implement mask mandates if desired. Hutchinson said he is still not in favor of a statewide mask mandate.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When asked why the amendment he supports didn't include schools with students older than 12, Hutchinson replied, "Because there's a remedy for them. They need to get vaccinated."
Watch more below:
-
What’s the difference between a bull market and bear market?The Explainer How to tell if the market is soaring or slumping.
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Gaza ceasefire teeters as Netanyahu orders strikesSpeed Read Israel accused Hamas of firing on Israeli troops
-
Covid-19 mRNA vaccines could help fight cancerUnder the radar They boost the immune system
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shotSpeed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
