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

It's odd times and KUAR FM 89.

Hello again everyone.

Thanks very much for being with us.

New districts for all four Arkansas congressman and new income tax rates for at least some of their constituents.

We'll get to that in a moment.

First coronavirus under Arkansas.

Without question, there's been some encouraging news.

Hopefully they are trends.

The number of Arkansans hospitalized is down, so is the number of patients requiring intensive care and the number needing ventilators just to remain alive.

More of our fellow Arkansans are choosing.

To be vaccinated though, the percentage of us who have taken the jab is significantly below the national average.

And if the case rate seems to be moderating, the aggregate number of infected continues to grow.

In a state of three million souls, the number of COVID cases now approaches a half million, and the death count now exceeds 7500.

So what is the proper ratio of caution to optimism?

We're joined now by Doctor Cam Patterson, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Science is doctor.

As always, thanks for coming in.

Give us the great to be.

Give us your sense.

What is that proper ratio?

I mean optimism and hope to to caution.

Well, you know, it's kind of the tale of two pandemics at this point in time, the numbers in the state are coming down.

We're seeing that at UAMS we peaked about six weeks ago, at close to 80 patients in the hospital, with complications from COVID-19.

We're now at around 35.

We were running about 40 patients in our intensive care units.

We're now at about 10 COVID-19 patients with complications and for the first time in months we don't have any patients on heart lung bypass, so the trend is moving in the right direction and that's great news for all of us.

We're all looking for some relief.

I'll let it end of the tunnel, but the flip side of this remains.

COVID-19 infections are higher in the United States than almost anywhere else in the world and within the United States, Arkansas remains one of the top five states in terms of.

New COVID-19 cases per capita, so there's good news and reasons to be optimistic, but we are not even close to being out of the woods yet.

Is there some concern doctor that Speaking of the entire state here or areas of the country that we're too nobody is declaring victory, but it's one gets the sense.

Sometimes they were almost prepared to accept a Korean style Armistice that we're willing to accept a certain number of casualties.

I, I think that there is a little bit of that going on and and part of this is just, you know, you know we will talk about COVID fatigue for the rest of our lives that you know we are all just tired of thinking about this and want to put it behind us.

But that's where we could fall down, Steve, you know, I think if we don't pay attention to the simple things that will continue to keep us safe, there's always the possibility of backsliding.

And one thing that I'm really concerned about in our state is that the rates of vaccination are not uniform across the state, so we may find that there are parts of our state pocketed states, especially more urban areas, where vaccination rates are high and where people are largely protected.

But there will be parts of the state where we could access and other issues.

We don't have high vaccination rates and we still may have pockets.

With intense outbreaks, even when most of the state is feeling good about COVID-19, yes Sir, and I'm also if I'm reading the the demographic data correctly, the disparity between a white Arkansans and Arkansans of color is it's just a yawning gap there.

It is still quite low in in communities of color.

It remains a huge problem for us, uh, the and the challenges in each of these populations are not necessarily the same.

Challenges in the Latin X community or or and, and reasons for hesitancy towards vaccination or simply lack of access to being able to be vaccinated is different than in African American communities.

And then the Marshallese population in Northwest Arkansas is unique unto itself.

We've got to think about each of these groups as how do we establish partnerships?

How do we provide access, how we provide the right information, and it's not going to be one size fits all.

But if we don't close that gap, we're not going to be.

The fair and Equitable State of Arkansas that we all believe we are.

Yeah yeah.

They're also doctor would seem to be a comprehension gap because out of the alphabet soup of of health agencies in DC, there continues to be news of one sort or another.

Now the OK has been given, at least, I believe for Pfizer vaccine recipients for those over 65 are those, especially at risk.

Can you clear that up for us?

Right, so good news today.

The, UM, the approval process has gone through the alphabet soup that you described the FDA, the CDC on.

And if you have received the Pfizer vaccine first and second doses, if you are over 65, or if you have other serious medical conditions like cancer, autoimmune diseases, or if you are in a high risk occupations such as healthcare, you will now be eligible to get your.

Third shot and Steve, I will be rolling up my shirt sleeve tomorrow to get my third shot.

It's the right thing to do I I think that that begs the question, what about if I've had another one of the vaccines?

Or what if I don't fall in those groups and I think just as we opened up the window for vaccination for the first shot.

Gradually early on as we accommodated people coming in to get their shots.

Will probably also see that gradual.

Opening up moving beyond just the Pfizer vaccine, moving beyond just high risk individuals.

And I, I suspect that this will end up being similar to the relatively orderly process that we have when the vaccines were first getting introduced.

Of course, we're talking about boosters here, but is there not also a six month recommendation?

Doctor on the Pfizer vaccine in terms of that second dose?

Well, in terms of going to the third dose, so there should be a six month interval between the second dose, another does.

So you want to make sure that that that time interval has passed and then you know the other, maybe even bigger issue.

Steve is going to be.

What about 6 to 11 year olds?

And I I think at this time reading the tea leaves is probably only going to be a matter of weeks before the vaccines.

At least Pfizer vaccine is is eligible for the six to 11 year old age group.

And that's going to be.

Huge in terms of thinking about how we educate our kids safely and how we have a safe school environment.

Though, would you answer the question before I could post it Sir and or is there concern in the part of the clinical community now about yet another wave?

Owing to autumns, sports activities, congregate settings, whatever?

You know we can't discount that we can't let our guard down.

There is certainly always the possibility of of yet another variant on, especially variant that potentially could evade some of the immune responses that are generated either by natural infection with the previous strain or or the vaccine.

And and you know you, you're right, you know, I encourage everybody to go out and find a restaurant that is.

Practicing social distancing and have a nice dinner outdoors, but when the weather gets colder, we're not going to be able to do that.

And are we going to be pushed into situations where it's more likely that the virus can be transmitted?

My suspicion Steve is that we are probably in a transitional point with COVID-19 and that this will be the last winter when there are lumps and bumps, and probably the winter of 2022.

COVID-19 will look more and more like a second flu.

If I could doctor, let's go back for just a second to the booster shot.

The father or booster shot and eventually the Moderna and the J&J.

I suppose high risk occupations now you mentioned health care workers are there others, other fields, other disciplines, occupations that that you would consider high risk.

Well, you know right now that hasn't been on.

Is clearly elucidated as we want it to be.

It's clearly going to be health care workers is probably going to be people who live in a residentially congregated areas like nursing homes.

People who live or work in the prison system.

It you know that may eventually open up to people who are working in poultry plants.

In places where you have to work side by side with other people and can't avoid that, so you know there's going to be more education and more to come in terms of really, clearly defining that.

Frankly, you know, I, I think that we should draw that boundary as broadly as we possibly can.

Well, we're entering into flu conventional flu season.

If there is such a thing, any longer doctor, as conventional flu, what about?

Can you do you recommend a flu shot for those who have already had the coronavirus?

Can the booster and the flu shot be taken together simultaneously?

Yeah, so so those are great questions.

You know we had almost no influenza last year and we are expecting that we'll have a rebound season this year.

Kind of a catch up.

We saw that in kids this year with RSV last year.

Almost no RSV.

This year.

RSV really came out of the woodwork and impacted Children's Hospital in other places so you know, we can't let our guard down against influenza either.

The good news is.

Uh, that there's no reason why you can't get your flu shot at the exact same time that you're getting a booster shot or your first COVID-19 vaccine shot.

If you haven't gotten one yet, there's no cross reactivity.

There's no change or increase in the incidence of side effects, so you know if it's easier for you to do that.

Get both of your shots at the same time, but you know the most important thing Steve is?

Get your shots.

Both your cobra 19 shots.

So there's some booster or your first shot and then go ahead and get your flu shot this year, because whether it's influenza or COVID-19, if you're knocked up and in the hospital, you're not doing well.

Message delivered Doctor Cam Patterson at UAMS.

As always, thanks very much for coming in.

Come back soon.

Will do an.

We'll be right back.

And we are back, and so is the General Assembly, or at least it will be next week.

And you thought it was done for the year, no?

Back from recess to tackle the question of congressional districts, they have to be redrawn every ten years, and while the census of 2020 confirmed much of what observers already knew in terms of population shift, still a chore.

So how big a chore we're joined by Speaker Matthew Shepard, Republican of El Dorado, Mr Speaker at the Capitol.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you for being with us.

Thank you, always good to be with you Steve.

Well, we we need to inform the audience because of your schedule and hours we're having to tape this portion of the broadcast on Wednesday afternoon.

Already there are what, as of this moment mid afternoon, 8 proposals for reapportionment.

That's that's what I've been told just right before we set down here.

The latest numbers were eight proposals.

I believe that there were four that were filed to this point today, so and I anticipate there will be other proposals filed as we as we move towards re convening next week.

Lots of fun for everybody.

Well, but we have three.

The really.

The first three Mr Speaker and for illustrative purposes, kind of give the audience a better idea of what we're talking about in terms of the census.

And shifting those boundary lines, let's take a look at the first three.

The first one is from is from representative speaks.

Nelda speaks.

She proposed this from her Mountain Home district and hers would move on.

Excuse me, Pope in Van Buren.

To the 4th.

Uh, currently Van Buren is in the Central Arkansas district.

The second district popes in the third.

It would take a portion of Jefferson and move it from the 4th up to the OR over to the first district.

Boone and Marion would go to the first district as well from the third district where they currently are.

Then there's sixty 1960 out House Bill 1960 pre filed by the gentleman from Jonesboro, Mr Ladymon Pope and a portion of Jefferson would go to the 4th.

Mariana Newton would be moved to the first more of the Ozarks into the first, along with the northern part of White County dividing a county and the Lady Man would, he says.

I meant his bill to have all of Searcy County at Marshall Area into the first.

Sixteen 1961 House Bill 1961 a democratic proposal.

David Whitaker, Fayetteville, would move Arkansas Lincoln to Shay and Pope.

To the 4th district.

This caused a little controversy from some of the farm members and some of the farm establishment in Southeast Arkansas, Mr Whitaker says.

In effect, oops, I'll take it back to the drawing board anyway, Mr Speaker.

That's kind of.

Kind of the math and counted the configurations that any any reapportionment has to take into consideration.

Are we ready?

Well, we're certainly ready to to reconvene the the question really gets into is, you know, is there a consensus yet?

And and I don't think I don't think we're at a point in time where I as we sit here today, I don't.

I don't know what those maps will ultimately look like.

I think that's you know one of the reasons we're having two state agencies meetings this week and another I believe set for next week and then obviously when we reconvene, will have additional meetings where the bills.

Will actually be considered because we do want public input, we want to have here the public's viewpoint on this.

Have let them have their say and then obviously clearly every every one of the Members has that opportunity to file a bill.

If they have an idea or some thought as to how those districts should be drawn, they have the opportunity to file that bill.

We tried to, once we got the numbers and understanding that.

You know we need to.

We need to do our work.

You know, as soon as possible.

Just because there is, you know it's important.

I think for the public and others to know what those district lines look like as we head into the midterm elections next year.

But when we finally received the numbers from the Census Bureau, which was delayed by a number of months, when we finally got those numbers myself, and Senator Hickey, and along with the state agencies chairs, have tried to layout, you know, a path forward towards.

Re convening and and make sure the public is aware of what that process looks like.

Yeah, of course, Mr Hickey, that of whom you speak is your Senate counterpart, the Protem in the Senate, the looking at the temple, the political temperature of the state, Sir, from a Miller to Clay and Benton, down to Chico, shifting any of these lines to any degree is unlikely to change the partisan composition or the ideological composition of the congressional delegation.

Or would you disagree?

You know, I really I really couldn't.

I don't know that I could sit here and say one way or the other.

I mean not, you know, anecdotally, and from what I've seen, it seems that Arkansas is a solidly Republican state, but I don't know.

I haven't tried to, you know, study what that would look like and there's so many different proposals being talked about.

So many things that have been have been, you know, filed but but you know, unquestionably, when you look back at how Arkansas is voted particularly over the last ten years, it does seem to be a solidly.

Republican state well, I cannot at this junction.

Of course, next year's balancing is is next year, but can you look at a sink and you?

Do you see any of the four being significantly endangered by either current events or a redistricting or reapportionment?

You know I, I would sit here and say that that that the primary, the primary focus, that that I have at this point in time, is trying to have a maps that are that are true to the to the what's required by law, and we understand that we're in an environment where everything we do is going to be under the microscope and so we wanted to put forth maps that, or at least myself.

It is a position of leadership.

I want to, you know.

Hopefully we have maps that are that are defensible.

And that all Arkansans can feel good about the process that we went through.

I mean, you've got to remember that ten years ago was the advent of the Fayetteville finger that was out there and considered for a period of time and certainly for someone from South Arkansas in the in the 4th district.

And with the prospects of having those lines drawn into downtown Fayetteville, you know I wouldn't pleased with where we were at there.

Fortunately, that didn't come to pass.

But it's just that's something that that is a reminder to me and I think many others that you know the process is important, how we conduct our business is important, and ultimately we know that the outcome of that process is very important to the people of Arkansas.

Well, in terms of Washington representation, you're right now, you're only dealing with four districts.

You will soon have to deal at a state level with 135 districts.

The headaches grow exponentially, to put it mildly.

Well, you know that's something that that the the attorney general, the Secretary of State and the governor will get to take up and and you know, I know that that they're taking public input just the same as we are as just as we do with the congressional redistricting, they have the same task in front of them as to legislative redistricting, I know that they've had a number of meetings around the state hearing from the public.

And, you know, undoubtedly they're hearing from a lot of representatives and senators and and other interested parties as to.

What those maps should look like, and I think that ultimately what we see when it comes to legislative redistricting is just the loss of population in South and E Arkansas.

That's going to present the particular challenges where Northwest Arkansas is grown.

Central Arkansas has grown to some, it's to some extent, and so it does become more challenging.

As I said, off air, it's much easier to draw four districts than to have to draw 100 or 35 on the Senate end and.

You know, I know, the governor, the attorney general and Secretary of State.

They have a lot of work in front of them.

Are we about to look at some fratricide here?

It's unavoidable.

It would seem, given the the population shifts, you're going to have members running against, Members should.

Should everybody seek reelection?

There certainly is that possibility.

I mean, when you look to South and E. Arkansas and you see that they're going to be a number of that, there has to be a number of districts that are going to have to move.

And and the Northwest Arkansas in particular is going to gain a number of districts.

It it definitely creates some challenges any any you know any year, any cycle, there's going to be members that decide to run for other seats or not run at all, so that you know there could be.

There's there's going to be, you know, there could be some of that but, but to your point, there is always that possibility that we that we on the House in and by the same token on the Senate end that there could be less, you know unavoidable situations where where Members could potentially face each other should they both decide to run both chambers.

If we could, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to shift to taxes for a moment.

Mr. Hudson, the governor, has said that he's not prepared to pull the trigger on a special session yet on on taxes.

Because he sees no consensus.

Do you see one evolving at all on your side of the Capitol?

I I think so.

I think that we're very close to having some consensus on that issue.

I think that you know it's been reported and myself represented jet and then leadership on the Senate and as well has been has been quoted in the press as to what we kind of see is the parameters of that.

What I believe is right now that we're working towards a reduction of the top rate to 5.5% and smoothing of the so called Cliffs which likely involves combining two of the three tables and.

Then hopefully we can also have a path to 4.9% that will be laid out over the next three years, and I think that's something that that by and large the House and Senate can be supportive of.

I know that leadership on both ends has been talking with Members has been sharing what you know, those those ideas and that the response has been has been been very supportive and and much of that much of that is, I think because of the fact that that.

This these ideas, these parameters and what's being put forth is really in response to what we're hearing from the Members, and you know we've been in contact with the governor.

I anticipate that myself, and Senator Hickey and the governor will sit down in in the real near future.

Next several days or weeks to hopefully, you know, hopefully we can all be on the same page.

There could be, you know, right now.

I think the biggest issue that may still be lingering is just some of the discussion of.

How to smooth out those cliffs?

DNA had put out some proposals early on.

Senator dismay is taking the lead on some things.

This has been an issue that he's really worked on for a number of years and so you know, there's still some stuff to be hammered out, but I I really believe at the end of the day will be on the same page and we'll be able to.

The governor will be able to call a special session and you know, hopefully as to to that issue we can.

We can know we have strong support and can take care of.

Implementing further tax relief for the people of Arkansas.

Well, some would argue Mr Speaker opponent there is some opposition at the tax cuts who argue that they are possible, certainly philosophically or politically, but they are not necessarily prudent in terms in budget, budgetary terms in terms of the States needs your response.

Well, I think that what you've seen over the last number of years is that we've been able to cut taxes at a fairly sizable clip, and we've been able to build up a long term reserve fund that, you know, I think, serves the state well.

It's going to will something that I think most experts have advised that the state needs to needs to have some type of long term reserve fund.

We've been able to do that, and we've been able to meet the needs at, you know, at the state level throughout this.

And so I think it's, I think that we've.

Through responsible conservative budgeting and tax policy, I think that we've we've demonstrated over the last number of years that that this can be done, and I think it's something that the membership, and I think the people of Arkansas are really, are really looking for.

You know, even even, and I think that what we'll see is that hopefully, you know at the end of the day, when we find consensus on these proposals is that you're going to see tax cuts that provide relief throughout the spectrum.

Taxpayers and that, particularly with regard to the middle income taxpayers that they're going to see relief.

And that's something that I think is important.

I think that as you look back at what we've done over the last number of years, we've we've, we've been able to provide a lot of tax relief at different different income levels.

And so I, I think this is a another step in the right direction.

Gotta end it there, Mr Speaker, because we're simply out of time.

We thank you for yours.

Come back soon.

Thank you Steve.

And as always we thank you for watching.

See you next week.

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