By DANIEL BREEN
In an extended legislative session intended to focus on re-drawing Arkansas’ four U.S. Congressional districts, lawmakers have instead set their sights on COVID-19 vaccines.
Members of the Arkansas House and Senate have debated numerous proposals aimed at rolling back parts of President Joe Biden’s new vaccine mandates for private businesses. The slate of Republican-backed bills have had varying degrees of success.
The most successful so far has been Senate Bill 739, sponsored by Republican Sen. Kim Hammer of Benton. After successfully passing out of a House committee Tuesday, it now faces a vote in the full House before going to the governor.
Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, listens as single mother Ashley Vance addresses the Arkansas Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee on Friday.
CREDIT ARKANSAS LEGISLATURE