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Hello again everyone.

Thanks very much for joining us more cases, more hospitalizations, more deaths.

An 11 year old girl died Monday.

Her family said after contracting COVID-19 and as the surge continues unabated, state legislatures legislators met in special session to consider changing the ban on mask mandates for schools, specifically those with children too young to get the vaccine.

Two proposed bills that would have allowed those changes failed joining us now via Skype Governor Asa Hutchinson.

You're a governor, thanks very much as always for giving us your time.

As we are taping this broadcast at midmorning, the General Assembly just minutes ago adjourned and where does that leave you?

Well, of course the legislature did adjourn.

I called them into session for two specific purposes, one to address the authority to opt out of the federal program for extra unemployment benefits.

They approved that, and then, secondly, I asked them to support flexibility for our local schools.

For those young people under 12 who can't get vaccinated so they can be protected and.

They declined to act on that, and I want to applaud, representing Mayberry who really fought hard.

Other legislators wanted to see something done, but it was blocked in committee and it's very disappointing that they left within what three days?

And went home without any action.

It's we have to remind ourselves that we are in an emergency and emergency demands, emergency action and an approaching these issues.

Uh, seriously.

And so I am disappointed.

We still have a couple weeks before school starts.

We're going to have to take additional steps to protect those young people looking at options.

And of course, we're waiting the court decision on the constitutionality of the law that bans school districts from taking those protective measures.

So we've got a little bit more to play out here, but we've made the request to legislature.

They rejected that.

Even as we speak governor at mid morning again, Circuit Judge in Little Rock is hearing arguments plaintiffs have are seeking a temporary restraining order to permit some of the things that you are seeking and that health authorities are seeking.

We don't know.

Obviously, the outcome of that.

But if that TRO is not granted, what are your options that you discuss what is on the table?

Well then, at that point the current law is still in place, which bans mask, mandates or anything of that nature, including vaccines.

Now let me make it clear to your audience that I don't intend to have a statewide mask mandate.

I'm opposed to that.

Under these circumstances we don't have a vaccine mandate.

Those are individual choices that we have.

And so I'm just concerned about that.

Vulnerable.

Population has no other choice, and those that are under 12 that they're not eligible for the vaccine.

Has it been approved for them, and so that's what we do and we need school and they're required to be there.

So we're going to have to really push hard on vaccinations as a whole.

The best answer is that everyone around that child be vaccinated that provides them the greatest level of protection.

I know that the litigation will continue on for the school districts to have more flexibility.

But in the meantime, it is just really focusing on the vaccines that we want to continue to try to push out.

That's the way out of this entire pandemic.

And for our children to be safe in school, yeah, your administration will not seek a mandatory vaccinations and mandatory masking obviously is still a prohibited absent legal action.

But you spoke Sir of other options that are under consideration.

Can you share those?

Well, I mean, I outlined one.

I mean, the option is looking at other means to keep the children safe, and so they're not necessarily legislative options or legal options.

They're practical options of working very hard through my conversations in the communities through.

We hope to have really an initiative within the Department of Education to market the vaccinations.

Among those that are in high school that haven't been vaccinated yet.

To really increase that.

So those are the health care options that we're looking at will.

See if there's any other steps that should be taken after the court decision, but with the legislative prohibition on any flexibility with our under 12 children, we have no choice but to do everything around that to protect them and to keep that environment, the schools safe.

If there need more resources, we're going to put that their spacing will be an issue of ventilation obviously.

And also it's it's still a choice among the parents to have the children.

Wear a mask, but those are parental choices and I expect that will not really protect all of the 12 and under a great many parents are obviously are opposed to mask, but a great many are are highly in favor of it and have spoken out.

Are you concerned, Sir, that we may see a fall off in enrollment in a couple of weeks?

You know that's actually a good point that you see many private schools that are moving to a mask policy, particularly for the lower grades.

And so you know the public school.

Is not in a very good competitive position.

They're not given the flexibility to do all they can to protect the health of their students, and so you know, there could be choices made.

Yes, I think that some parents that feel strongly about their their child and that they might be compromised health wise if they go back to that classroom, they could look for other options.

So that is an unfairness in our public school environment that they don't have that same flexibility that others do.

And so our job is just to do everything we can to give that confidence, to give as much many tools as possible to those younger kids, to broaden the question, Sir, we've got to colleges and universities state supported opening.

And they they say they're going to do everything they can to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff.

Are you concerned there that as some health officials are that whatever they do, we're going to see an explosion there surge there?

Well, it's likely actually that we're going to see cases go up when school convenes.

Again, we saw that last year, and we're certainly in just a serious, if not more serious situation the so what's the answer to it?

For higher Ed, many of them want more flexibility if they can impose a mask.

Mandate my response to that is everyone in that environment is eligible for a vaccine.

Let's don't lose focus, and let's work work more closely with getting vaccines out to protect that environment.

And let's try to avoid that mask debate in that higher education arena, get everybody vaccinated.

Focus on that.

You have expressed regret publicly, Sir, for having signed the legislation that the mask ban legislation that you talked about the political imperatives at the time.

Could you analyze this session in terms of what was compelling the General Assembly to just basically turn its back on on on efforts to amend that statue?

Well, of course you know they boil it down to a very simple message that parents should have the choice.

Well, which is is easy to say and it's true.

Parents have the choice as to where they're going to send their children, but whenever you're looking at the safety of the classroom, we've always had vaccination requirements.

You know, when I went to school it was smallpox.

It was measles.

And there's so many places you can't go without showing that you.

Have been vaccinated.

We can't vaccinate those younger people, but you know.

So masking is a fair discussion, but they boil it down to a very simple argument that parents should have the choice and.

And you've got a lot of the public that responds to it.

What's frustrating though, is that legislators are responding simply to the number of emails they get, rather than standing up and providing leadership, and that we're losing our balance that it's the loudest noise that gets the response.

Versus logic, compassion, common sense, and that's frustrating.

Did the legislature fail the state, Sir?

Well, you know they all looked at representing the their constituents and you can't put them in a painting with A broad brush because there are many members that were trying to stand up and do the right thing.

But the majority said no, we're not going to do anything and doing nothing is not a good option in an emergency Sir.

The matter of the supplemental jobless aid, you and the General Assembly were in accord on that.

Is this something that you'll look back on in?

In two months or so, and say I wish I had opposed that.

Wish I'd taken a different position on that.

No, I don't think so.

I I mean, of course I have been consistent that whenever that option came up, we opted out, evident or my leadership because employers are looking for people to work.

They are desperate for workers and we don't need to pay healthy people $300 extra a week to stay at home.

And so that's the logical decision.

Also down the road, you know, if.

Everything went the wrong direction.

There's always the option to opt back in so that can be turned back on, but we don't want to do that under this environment because we've got jobs that are available.

People are desperate for workers and they're paying good salaries, so let's put them back to work.

So there's there's a apparently a growing movement in in corporate big business in the United States to mandate on the on the part of employees, some vendors, and even some customers.

Masking and in the case of corporations and employees vaccination, you approve of that.

I approve of their right to do it.

Absolutely, this is a free country and an individual.

Businesses can make the decision for the safety of their workforce, their customer base and and and their business, and so absolutely that's that's called individual liberty and freedom.

And so while I think businesses should be careful because you know, there are consequences to that and they need the workers.

But when you're looking at the healthcare environment looking at poultry processing plants that were hits early in this contagion with the virus, it's reasonable for those businesses to make that decision, and they have the right to do that, and laws shouldn't prohibit them from doing that.

Governor Hutchinson, thank you Sir.

As always for your time.

Great to be with you, Steve.

Come back soon.

We'll be right back.

We're back and with a bit of news following the interview with Governor Hutchinson, a Circuit Judge at Little Rock.

Granted a temporary restraining order banning enforcement of the legislature's ban on local governments and masking orders joining us.

Now the mayor of Little Rock, the honorable Frank Scott, Your Honor, thanks very much for joining us.

You had filed suit seeking.

You, and among others, had had sought this injunction.

So at least you have some temporary relief.

Well, thank you so much.

It's truly a pleasure to be with you.

We understood for quite some time and really looking through the research with our city attorney that when we issued our executive order to mandate mask in public spaces that it was perfectly legal and that the state legislatures prohibition against municipalities and local school boards was unconstitutional.

And so we took the time to research the law before we made the executive order.

Yesterday we had to do it in the best interest of public safety.

Health and welfare of our Little Rock residents and we understood that our police power in helping our residents with public safety, health and welfare could not be taken away.

Well, it was legal Your Honor because it was not specifically illegal.

I, I think it's fair to say, but surely this is not the end of it in terms of litigation.

Are you confident and the city legal staff that you can prevail in the long run?

Yes, Sir, we're very confident our city attorney took time.

We've been looking at it since the prohibition went into effect on July 27th, and so we wanted to make sure we made our move, that it was a legal move and all our eyes are dotted and T's were crossed.

And so we are very comfortable and positive that we will continue to prevail from a practical matter.

Though your Honor, this is a tough one to enforce.

You're running against public opinion that in in some quarters is quite hostile to a mandatory masking period, let alone.

A governmentally mandated mask?

How are you going to make this stick?

Well, we make it stick by focusing on the three ES, which is to educate, to engage and to enforce.

We don't ever want to get to the part of enforcement where you're arresting someone for this.

We believe particularly, we're going to always run things out on City Hall and in city property that are owned and operated by the residents of Little Rock and only operated by the City of Little Rock government.

And so that's what our public spaces mean.

And we strongly encourage businesses to follow.

I want to take this time to share.

Appreciation to businesses that are already leading the way here in Little Rock by creating their own enforcement within their private business or even seeing large companies like Tyson and Walmart doing the same.

So we really see a lot of our our companies in Little Rock leading the way for the private spaces and will lead the way in the public space.

Well, in terms of enforcement though, Your Honor I think you know that that's going to be one of the arguments that used against this that you City Hall.

You're going to be arresting people left and right for not wearing masks.

Fueling the opposition to this thing.

Well, this is not the first time that we've issued a mask mandate.

We did this last year, some 17 months ago and it worked very well.

Then more more or less the the residents of Little Rock understand the need.

The rationale to protect ourselves to stop the transmission of COVID-19, and we believe in our residents.

Again, we've done this once before and when we got to a point where we felt we need to pull back, we did.

And so now we're in the middle of third, third search and so that's the reason why we're doing it again.

And fully believe in the residents of Little Rock.

Well, Sir, in terms of educating the public and stressing, emphasizing the need for vaccination, how are you going to do it that we have not already done that?

Well, we've already been educating the public about the need to get the vaccine.

The city of Little Rock is led and partnership with a number of different hospitals and pharmacists.

A number of different.

I get the vaccine clinics.

Actually, this past weekend I was at three and will continue to do that.

And you're seeing right now in Pulaski County, Pulaski County leads the way in our large counties with the number of vaccinated people.

Anyway, we're at close to 50%, which is good, but we want to be closer to 70%, and so we're excited about that.

So people have to understand Little Rock is the Mecca of healthcare.

Other individuals that are traveling two and three hours to Little Rock to receive health care and also we are the largest city in the state where 200,000 on population, but from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM were upwards of 300,000.

So the size of a Nashville and so those are the reasons why we have to lead the way and protective measures.

And again this is not something we want to do.

I fully know this is unpopular opinion, but I'm gonna always here on the right side of right to do best for the residents of Little Rock.

I have to believe your honor.

But you have had the intense conversations with the Superintendent of well of all three school districts, but certainly Little Rock and a public schools.

Can you share the Nate what?

What if the nature of those conversations?

We're all concerned about our children, which are our most precious assets and what's going to happen as they're moving towards.

But not only are children, because our children have parents and guardians.

And So what we have to do is what are we going to do to really, truly protect our residents and so that I applied LRSD and super their school board as well as Superintendent Michael Poore who issued the lawsuit.

I also want to apply the plaster county judge as well as others that have joined the lawsuit that went before Judge Tim Fox today and grateful to Judge Tim Fox.

Sided with municipalities and local school boards because local government have to have the opportunity to lead her people, is there going to be a greater court?

And I'm not suggesting that there hasn't been coordination, but are you going to step up the coordination between K12 in Little Rock and then perhaps in the county as well and City Hall?

We have a strong relationship here in Little Rock in Central Arkansas.

Actually, quite frankly, all of the plastic county mayors have been meeting throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

At one point it was weekly and sometimes now monthly.

We continue to meet so myself and the other plastic county mayors as well as.

I meet monthly with our local public CEOs that does include a little high school district and so there's always intense communication, collaboration and coordination.

Because we all impact this group, this Grand City that we call Little Rock.

But one final question, Sir, and it's the same question I put to Mr Hutchinson a bit earlier has the Arkansas General Assembly.

Well, are you disappointed in the General Assembly?

But plainly, you are?

Did it fail?

The people of Arkansas?

That's for the people Arkansas to decide.

As a leader, leaders have to act and I can share those leaders at the state Capitol did not act, and that's disappointing.

All right, Mayor Frank Scott over Little Rock.

Thank you very much Sir, for being with us.

Come back soon.

Thank you so much Steve.

Do appreciate you and we'll be right back.

Continuing on as state and local governments for angle with what they can and cannot do regarding mask, mandates, vaccinations and the like.

Businesses across Arkansas and the nation are taking matters into their own hands and joining us now.

Randy Zook, President, CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Zook, as always, thanks for coming aboard.

First, let me just ask you, your reaction to to Judge Fox is TRO.

This morning Steve, I haven't had a chance to look at the wording in it, but you know this is this is.

Creating a lot of difficulties, so I'll leave it at that.

I don't.

I don't have a. I actually don't have a reaction.

I haven't read the the order I've been on.

Other calls were wrapping up the legislative session.

Well, in terms or though of COVID response by corporate Arkansas and small business, Arkansas.

For that matter, there seemed well as we said in the lead in there, they seem to be taking in growing numbers matters into their own hands.

Or is that an accurate statement?

I think that's I think that's accurate.

I think the pressures of the Delta variant that the alarming increases in clinical cases and hospitalizations and and turn deaths.

It's got business is really leaning in on how best to deal with this.

It's the most difficult HR issue that anybody in business has ever had to contend with it.

It's strains, employer, employee relations that at the least and it.

And you know, there's there's some.

There's some real angst involved in all this and and and people are literally scared to death in some cases, but for the most part.

Companies are finding a way to persuade their employees to go ahead and most of their employees to go ahead and get the vaccination.

A lot of incentives, a lot of encouragement, lot of paid time off, a lot of assurances, lot of doctors coming into businesses to put people at ease.

Everybody's doing all they can to to get as many people as possible, vaccinated, ready.

You use the term used the term second ago, encourage.

In some cases they are doing more than simply encouraging.

They're making it mandatory are they not?

Is that appropriate and do you expect to see that continue?

In some cases, they're they're having to resort to mandates to two instructions, either or kind of decisions.

A United Airlines, I guess, is the most dramatic one in the last few days.

They've got a period of time for that to occur.

Walmart Tyson, others have have taken steps in that direction to varying degrees, but let me let me just reassure people that none of these companies wants to part company.

With good employees.

Every one of these companies offers reasonable accommodation for certainly for any health conditions that that prevent someone from accepting a vaccination and also for any strongly held religious conviction.

Those those are.

Those are straightforward, no exceptions.

Kind of conditions, and people are HR.

People are working daily to put people at ease and those regard in regards to.

Those two issues and and but then again, the last thing these employers want to do is part company with good people that we are.

We are short people already, but at the end of the day there comes a time.

Eventually in some cases and this is a judgment companies make that we just have to comply with the the recommendation and get the shots taken in order to protect our customers as well as double employees we have talked in terms of the sparser of employees staffing.

But what would you expect to see additional Arkansas businesses impose A at least a mass?

A mask requirement on their customers and their vendors?

You know, I've I've heard all kinds of variations on the theme.

Some places say look if you if you can bring in proof of vaccination and you're fully vaccinated as the term is used then feel free to go around the office or the plant or the business without a mask on.

As long as you're not fully vaccinated, you're required.

You may be required to to wear the mask and maybe even test weekly people are doing, you know, going to.

Pretty dumb.

Uh, extreme measures to to accommodate people's concerns about the vaccine and.

And, uh, but you you find all sorts of variations on the staffing matter.

Sir General Assembly on Friday morning adjourn signee die having approved Mr Hutchinson's legislation or endorsed Mr Hutchinson's refusal on the supplemental job aid at the almost yeah almost the same time Washington issues and absolutely stunning a jobs report in terms of employment, prison, those two, Sir.

What do you see?

I think one follows the other.

If you when we discontinued the supplemental federal benefit for unemployment and extended the time periods beyond the state levels, then people are rational.

People react to economic incentives.

As long as people receiving more than they were making on the job and from those two sources of state and federal benefits, then many of them chose rationally not to go back to work.

As soon as the extra $300 a week ended, many are choosing to go back to work.

Your biggest increase in that number this morning was in leisure and hospitality, and that's where that's where the the greatest reluctance is has been falling in terms of re employment.

So you're right, it was just shy of a million new jobs from the last report.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see next month report be equally stunning.

People are going back to work and I have to end up there Mr Luke, because we're simply out of time.

Randy's look at the state chamber.

Thanks very much for being with us.

Appreciate it to come back soon.

And as always, we thank you for joining us and we'll see you next week.

Second, support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUARFM 89.