LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson pressed forward Tuesday with efforts to allow schools to mandate face masks as the state’s coronavirus cases continued to spiral, but faced heavy opposition from fellow Republicans over the move.Hutchinson called the majority-GOP Legislature back into session to take up the change to a state law he signed in April prohibiting mask mandates by schools and other governmental bodies.
The agenda for session, which will begin Wednesday, also includes a proposal to prevent the state from having to resume making supplemental unemployment benefits to thousands of residents.Hutchinson has faced growing calls to revisit the ban as the state’s cases and hospitalizations surge.