Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee- House

A. L. C. in get appropriation for the program so that appropriations also conferred contemporaneously with the commencement of the program so I'd be another opportunity for the the General Assembly away. So if I may just another words proactively before it a new program can exist you would have to come for appropriation. Yes Sir in in where those would exist outside of the session ram would be through peer and council so any time they would have to may have a new appropriation typically the way that works is a transfer the appropriation ability from one agency within the Secretary department to another and they do that in peer so those will be calling for the legislature that way as well okay thank you thank you Mr. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized for a question thank you Mister Robson Wardlaw what we are talking about federal dollars ago in these programs or a we are okay those those federal dollars still have to vote appropriations there's legislatures all okay all right I'm. I'm going to support this because I think it's time that we get back to some sense of normalcy and people get back to work but don't you think it's a little bit hypocritical that were calling for for an end to this federal money for the people when we would not call for an end to the mark the previous emergency because or federal dollars coming into the state I don't because at the time that we were going through that emergency we had everybody was laying everyone off to work at this time we have everybody trying to hire folks back out of their homes so it's a different time in a different environment in our in our society and because of that we do not need to incentivize these folks to stay at home well follow up Mr Mr yet I'm just to clarify I'm not talking about I'm I'm talking about we held on to the mercy because of the money that was coming to the state so we held on to that for as long as we could because we had additional funds coming to the state but the these federal funds are going directly to the people and we're we're talking about cutting that off early like I said I I'm I'm going to support this because I think it's time we get back to some sense of normalcy and people get back to work but we appreciate your support little bit of critical thank you would you agree. No representative Alan you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman a reserve member of hello thanks for the bill I have some questions about it if you recall when the money first came to the state of Arkansas it was used to be used to help those employers that have employees that were laid off this money was to help with their unemployment benefits is that correct that is correct it was to an add on on to their and a regular unemployment benefits add on to the regular employment so so what's going to. What's going to happen now that the pandemic is back and this is simply is not out there and many bills businesses that need our employees to come back to work they're not coming back to work but I want to know what what is what is our plan in case this happens again. With this bill what you're doing is you're given that authority to the director so you're allowing the director to have the authority to make those decisions depending on the environment of our society as I called it earlier so you're not saying terminate with this bill you're giving that authority to the director and we're saying as a legislature we're backing up that director to make those decisions that are. Yes you have follow up okay thank you what what what is perhaps we feel that the director is not moving in that and the best direction of the state of Arkansas what consequences of what alternatives do we have that would guarantee us that what is happening is going to be in the best interest of all our Kansas. If I may take that question represent ballot you know I think the governors expressed himself you know on several occasions that we want to be prudent we want to encourage good practices going courage vaccinations but we also to find a way to live a properly with this this pandemic and so to be able to encourage people to not have a shut down that we don't put a pause on our economy there might have been some some weeks very very early on with that makes sense but we're now well over a year into this thing in so we need employees back in the workplace we don't need to have anything from a policy perspective that discourages them return the workplace because there are consequences they're getting creative for the economy of Arkansas by not being able to provide services and manufactured products and so I would say if if you believe this body believes that there's an opportunity to reinstate these extraordinary voluntary benefits and they are extraordinary never seen them before then you'll always have the ability to call us before you into explicit express your displeasure with the situation and we certainly have to hear that. Thank you. So to answer your question Mister if I could Through JPR and through council we have the ability to make that voice heard and that was the same answer I basically gave representative Payton his question we still have a lot of authority an appropriation process through peer can also be used as well. Representative to answer questions. All right of any other questions from committee. In some we don't normally do but allow today is is there any questions from members of the legislature that are not on the committee. Number twenty seven you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair Joyce spring a representative I would just like to know what the the data do you have that supports your position that is time for persons to return to work other than it's been a year and that of your that I thinks it's been said that the unemployment rate is not as great as that has been but one of the do you have for instance like are these businesses that all the facilities equipped and have the necessary up things to prevent of the transmittal of the pen of the COVID nineteen have you done the survey in order to do that so can you share with me additional information you have in support of this state so that persons will not be exposed to the virus sure well first of all you know if if we do have in our employer community in bad actors and certainly that's always a possibility under the current department of labor regulations if someone does not go to work because of that that would be a justified reason to collect unemployment so employers are providing the incentive to have a healthy workplace we thank our employer community wants that you know they have been dealing with this along the citizens for this past year and they're ready get back to normal as well there's been lots of programs put in place that this legislature has funded and we're we're grateful for that that's allowed us to give assistance to these companies so they can buy PP so they can buy things to kind of keep the the workplace sanitary you know a an employer in a company they're the most motivated to maximize you know their business operations and so they have the grace and Senate to ensure that people you know are coming back and if they stay back I suspect we've all experienced anecdotal evidence going to a restaurant in a restaurant you know telling you gotta be patient with us tonight because we're short staffed or a restaurants tell you revenue close. A few hours early because we don't have enough staff yeah that's that's occurring all over a calming that's creating a burden for employers can a burden for the citizens that's a concern we're trying to address with this. Follow up missed here I'll give you one follower I'm still trying to figure out what specific data that you have have you gone to different businesses across the state and determine what it is that they've done in order to make sure that the businesses are safe I heard to make a statement but have you collected in data this question if I have the rest of I have a survey of businesses is what exactly they've done I don't have a survey but we are constantly in communication with our employers in Arkansas about what's going on the workplace the measures they're taking. The seven all righty. Some sort M. could not in a it's not at all right in the document I have a daughter of yours you know ma'am. Representative Alan you're recognized for a question. Very shortly what what assurances can you give us that if we pass this today that the employees are going to come back to work. I think represent Allender is there's no assurances there's just incentives that will leave and I've already left that the governor's order that will not incentivize people not to come back to work so that's that's the point is to stop the incentives for people not working. Okay. Resent Allen was you done. Representative Scott you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair representative Wardlaw I don't know if you the director can answer this question but is there anyway we can get a status on what the current update is with the unemployment claims that we had previous to the extension date being final I guess which was like end of June or July do we know how how much backlog we still have for those Arkansans are still waiting on unemployment benefits. And if not can somebody just provide the information to us if we don't know that number. We can provide that to the total membership okay we'll get that from the Department and get it out there still is back back when they're still a backlog and we'll get you there no my thousands probably like I know it's a I know I know you'll be really working on it but we still get email so that yes ma'am we we we track that that's far dashboard those numbers have come down substantially but is still in the several thousand range okay because there's some complicated issues that go with some of those claims okay thank you. A representative person recognized. Thank you based on the court decision I know this bill won't be retroactive what will happen to that July the thirty day school does recipients be paid retroactively or what will happen. A reserve person the bill is retroactive it does have a retroactive effective date to may nineteenth two thousand twenty one obviously we're in the middle education some somewhat limited as to the things that I can say in open session about that but we believe that we have a very strong case on appeal independent of this bill to affirm the decision the governor the director may we do not believe it will have to go back and retroactively you know pay those benefits but that's still subject to litigation we think this bill is a great affirmation of the decision that was made and it would be a helpful Act we thank Senate seating the bill will take care that the okay thank you it will help you help the problem yes ma'am okay thank you. All right uh we have no one signed up to speak for against the bill there anyone in the audience who wants to speak for or against the bill. Seeing none representative re read close for your bill I am Mister chairman I won't belabor the point I make a motion do pass I have a motion of do pass. Is all in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed nay. Hi seven congratulations your bill is passed thank you Mr chairman and committee. Okay committee We're not gonna take any action on H. B. one thousand two. So we'll go right on to HB one thousand and three representative Mayberry. You're recognized to present your bill. He said this. Okay would you all please introduce yourselves and who you represent. Hi I'm state representative Julie Mayberry represent district twenty seven. You're on. Yes Sir I'm going center on the superintendent schools in Marion Arkansas and I am representing the Merion school district. I'm doctor heather young I'm a pediatric infectious disease doctor and I'm here of my own accord. A representative maybe you're recognized to present your bill thank you. Members I want to keep my remarks as brief as possible because I feel like we have experts in the field who can share their thoughts far more than I can share their thoughts. But I know there are lots of things that we can agree on here today and I think we can all agree that what we had last year with masks mandates that every child in every situation all day long for the whole year on every campus regardless of the infection rate and the possibility of a child getting COVID or staff member that that was excessive I hope we can all agree on that I hope we can also all agree that we don't want to send our kids home if you look at our test scores from this past year they plummeted. Our kids when they start are sent home they're isolated. We have mental health issues because our kids are not in the social environment that they need to be in. We have kids that are home. Who are home because either they're sent home to be on quarantine and they're not sick or they're sent home because they are sick or they end up going to children's hospital now the situation we have now is different than what we had last year at this time the kids are sick or. Then on top of that when a child goes home. The parent also has to go home so that nurse that was staffing the hospital taking care of your loved one that is there whether it's for COVID or car accident or a heart attack. Now is not bear and we know we have a show of a nursing shortage in our hospitals. I'm bringing forth an idea. As many of you know I'm open minded I'm willing to work on this if you have some other ideas at the end I'd love to hear and if we can tweak this a little bit more. To make some of you feel a little bit more comfortable with it. I'm open minded we can do that we don't have to take a vote today I'd love to take a vote and get it passed but I I understand what I'm facing. And the reality of it. Let me tell you what this bill does this bill does not say every school district in every school board can mandate mass. It narrowly focuses it down to specific school districts that we know over fourteen day period of time have had at least fifty cases of COVID infections in their school district. Not in the county but that's is a locally as we can get it so we know those are hot zones. Why would we not want to give that school board. The ability to add one more tool to help protect those kids to keep free of infection to keep them in the school and keep on learning that's all I'm asking there are some other safeguards in here first of all keep in mind it is the school board not the superintendent it's very important the school board would be voting on it that's is local of a representative as you can get. That on top of that if they vote for it there are other guardrails there. So that would be that it can't be longer than sixty days if a school district wants to do it for thirty days they can do it for thirty but they can't do it longer than sixty so that in the end we don't have a school district all year long regardless of the cases regardless of the circumstances they're still asking your kid to wear a mask. Then we specifically put in their language to make sure that we understand that this is one where protection. But beyond that if you can keep physical distance from each other. Then that personal space should be allowed and you may not have to wear the masks for example if you're in a gymnasium and you have thirty students in the classroom. Okay that gymnasium is huge and those students can spread out and they won't have to wear the mask if there on the playground and they're outside they may not have to wear the mask. If the teachers in our classroom by ourselves she doesn't have to wear a mask. There are circumstances that are different than last year last year they were told regardless of circumstances they had to wear it. Then another thing that's in here is there are some people who have a medical reason or perhaps a disability that it makes it difficult for them to wear the mask or could cause more harm. And so we want to make it clear that in those situations we're not gonna have a child with autism that has severe sensory issues towards something on his or her face have to wear that mask because we understand the rest verses the Resources. Benefit thank you. Okay that's the gist of this bill. Again I'm open to some ideas. I was told by legislator that I have a great amount of respect for and I shared this with many of you in this health committee when I brought forth no patient left alone. I shared with you that this legislator told me how do you know when you have a the right bill. And it's when everyone feels a little uncomfortable. And that's the balance that I'm trying to find and so I'm going to let our Merion school district superintendent speak now because his school has already started and they've got a disaster there and you need to hear it. Yes thank you madam and thank you Mr chairman members of the committee This is my fortieth year in education I'm not representing and again any group other than the Merion school district I understand there are a lot of different opinions on this topic. my only qualification for being here today is that we did start school eight days ago and we've had some extraordinary experiences. I understand full well just as the gentleman who were here previously that there was. Times continue to evolve and there were there were things that we did legislatively maybe in the last session or even prior to that that were a part of of the reality of the day. I'm simply here to tell you that the reality of the day continues to evolve and the best barometer for that evolution I think is the experiences that schools are going to have once they reconvene. We. I started out with a very good concept one that were very all proud of. That basically is a hybrid school calendar that allows us to start early. Go basically for nine weeks and then take a for a two week break and then another nine weeks and in a two week break and so on so forth throughout the year is designed to improve academic retention. So we were very very excited about the chance to start that calendar this year. Our experience with the calendar has been great. But the experiences of starting school early have reminded me of my first marriage everything was pretty fun for a day or two and then it started deteriorating rapidly. our first week. Week culminated with ten people who had been proven to be positive on staff or within the student body and we quarantine a hundred and sixty eight. The second skews me three days into skews me two days into our second week. We have twenty seven positive cases and we have quarantine five hundred and sixty two. That was of as of last evening are cumulative. Corentin number is a seven hundred and thirty. As of yesterday we've had thirty four positive cases within the students and nine positive cases within our staff and I was told to a few minutes ago that the numbers continue to rise rapidly. My concern obviously is this I can't teach our kids if they are quarantine. I think it is important to understand that if our students had been under the same mask mandate that we administered last year instead of having seven hundred and thirty people quarantine we would have had forty two. So those remaining students who work the part of the forty two who were tested positive would still be in school today they would be learning and we would not be disrupting our economy with those students being sent home and their parents having to assume the immediate responsibility for not only monitoring their activity but supporting their academic endeavors for that time of that quarantine. my concern is is that there's nothing special about marrying American. I am afraid of that this is going to be the response that you're going to see all throughout the state. And it is one that I am confident was not envisioned at the time of passing the original legislation. We simply need the ability to protect our students as best we can and we're certainly. Prepared to accept the responsibility for what we believe to be the best actions at our local level. If we simply could have a chance to. Let our community and our medical professionals decide what is best for keeping our students in school then we would feel this would be a move forward. I can tell you if nothing changes in our numbers continue the direction that they have appear to be headed we're going to have another school year for students don't learn and have another interruption in our economic evolution in terms of our progress and it's not going to be just happening in Merion America it's going to happen all over the state of Arkansas and I'm simply asking you to contemplate those circumstances as you move forward in helping us figure out how to do the best job we can and educating our children. And thank you for having me and my my on yeah you're recognized for C. so thank you for having me and thank you representative Mayberry for working on this bill so I'm a pediatric infectious disease doctor and I want to again state I'm here purely my own accord and not representing any institution whatsoever. The biggest concern that parents have had when they come to me to ask what to do with their kids is what we do is school what we do if we can't have masks and school or their parents are concerned about children and wearing masks and as far as children wearing masks the one thing that we have seen throughout this entire pandemic is that. They're an inconvenience I mean I don't really like wearing them but I'm going to keep wearing mine but and they're an inconvenience but they don't harm the child we have not seen any children being hospitalised as a consequence of wearing their masks but right now with this delta variant we are seeing the rates if Kobe Haas added children in our in our hospitals rising astronomically. And the other thing is we know that children do best learning in schools that they do best finance social interaction and I am a product of Arkansas I was raised here I went to high school at Russell high school and it was there that I got to do an anatomy and physiology class and that's where it said I want to be a doctor and there is no way that the experience that led me to that was nice eighteen cat in my anatomy and physiology class you can not dissected cat doing remote learning and I don't want any child deprived of those experiences that would make such an impact on their life and for them to just be sitting there watching as I don't know somebody talk and mines and so. If you have children and they're able to wear masks safely which they are and that is able to protect them. And if you have one child who walks into your classroom and that child is sick with COVID but they're wearing a mask then all of those code particle stay within that mask maybe a handful will leak out but then all the other kids in the classroom all have a mask on and that prevents this code particles from landing on their map out in their nose getting into their system and so because of that if you have a child who comes in your classroom is positive and as mast to everybody else in the classroom is mass know what the kids have to go home. They're just the child is sick they get to stay out. So I think. From a local perspective it would make sense to have conversations with the pediatricians and family practice stocks and the nurse practitioners who work and serve at that school district. And to have that conversation with the superintendents and the teachers and come up with what is best for that school district and not just leave it to someone get mandates or anti mandate and that has been passed so. Any additional comments. All right. Representive Allen you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman of the main Mayberry thank you for bringing this bill on the bottom of your bill first page eight encompass Q. seven twelve years and under. Is that correct. That is correct representative Alan my original bill included all school age children and all the even share that it did include college but because the governor's call specifically said that language I had to make it match the call so that we could even have the discussion here today okay what will will appears to me that we are. The Committee choose in. Which key is we're going to protect and ones that we're not going to take protect as a member of the General Assembly. The welfare of all Iraqis. Is our responsibility so we can't. Pick and choose which one we don't protect the cost of virus does not pick as to which one they're going to it's going to impact. So unfortunately we have kids that comes to. With underlying conditions. Especially our special needs kids. It is our constitutional duty. That we protect the health education where family online keys which agree. I would wholeheartedly agree and that's why my bill included all school age children so I do agree with you but we are limited by what is in the governor's call and that's why this bill specifically says that follow would you also agree that our kids can't vote for can't protect themselves. So they have the payment on us to protect. Correct thank you. Representative paid you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr so representative Mayberry and paragraph five a it's where you line out the qualifications for a school district. To make this decision and it says a infection rate of fifty new cases. In a two week period within the school district but that's not just talking about kids or teachers as Tom up in the public anybody that lives within that school district is that correct that is correct so I live in the shared in school district and if I got covid I would go down as one of those cases okay so that is as close as we can define it is by by the school district the original idea was council but council is so broad we wanted to at least narrow it down to the school district so all that is is to allow the school district to consider it again if the school board says you know the cases really are here and in on our school campuses they don't have to consider this at all. If I could have a follow up Mr yes you're recognized so. I have a couple of concerns with that bomb will move on to. If. If that's the criteria how many school districts in Arkansas are currently qualifying for this. So currently it would be one hundred school districts in the state that meet that criteria I do have a doctor Joe Thompson from the Arkansas center for health improvement as the one who their organization is the one that put this data together I don't know if that information I know I got emailed I don't know if it can be shared broadly I'd be happy to have him come up if you wanna talk more specific about data because that's where that sources from a representative Mayberry we do have that information. Thank you Tom senator is going to be presenting information if you would go ahead and come up we'll pass this handout out. And maybe you can help answer some of these questions so he would go ahead and pass that hand out. The Johnson please introduce yourself and who you represent sure Dr Joe Thompson president CEO of the Arkansas center for health improvement you would you like to and try to answer that question the representative could you repeat the question just to make sure that well my question was based on the data that we currently have how many school districts would come within this guideline. So you've got you will be getting you should have a graphical maps that are center published last week we're passing that right now you get it of the two hundred and eighty two I think it is existing school districts in the state one hundred would be above the fifty per ten thousand threshold I want to offer a correction it's fifty cases per ten thousand residents in the school district so the rate so it's equal to a large district has fewer people but the rate let you look at the same way across all school districts. This fifty per ten thousand is two and a half times higher than the CDC recommendations threshold for mandatory masking so this is a high threshold and at the present time ten or a hundred of our school districts are above the fifty threshold in twelve or above the one hundred threshold one hundred per ten thousand means that one percent of all the residents in that school district had been newly diagnosed in the past fourteen days one percent so that's the data that we get from the health department would you uploaded on the school district boundaries and we generate that rate and we published weekly on Thursday for public consumption. So if I could. Yes you can follow our. So I'm just judging by the thousands of emails I've gotten in the last five days basically Do you have any concerns in the community. Would be disincentive eyes about getting tested. And checking out positive because it it seems to be an overwhelming majority of the community that does not want to have a mask mandate and this could actually have a negative effect on our encouraging people to get tested and treated. So try to reserve my comments for when I signed up to speak in support of a bill I don't think any of us want to have a mask mandate or even have a mask period but having said that we stopped reporting back in March when the testing rate got so low that I did not have confidence we could get accurate information after the ten days of snow that we had the testing dropped off and it never came back. we looks two weeks ago and the testing rate was back up around fifty thousand tests per week so most we ever were without seventy thousand tests per week seventy seventy five and so we feel fairly confident. I would say these numbers probably under estimate the risk in communities because there are communities that don't have much testing going on so this is the floor the risk in these communities is probably much higher than what we're showing here but I have a confidence that we're at least able to project most risk in a way that is reflective of what the true risk is in the community thank you thank you Mr. Representative Pilkington you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman this month my questions are directed towards the superintendent I was when I could you kind of walk me through what type of COVID protocols you had in place before school started so just temperature checks things like that. Before school started when students have I would say it on the first day when students started arriving were there any protocols and Jack are of there are a list of protocols that were provided to our parents to our bus drivers to our faculty and staff in terms of monitoring students as they arrive at campus if you've been on a school campus that has five locations and four thousand students the some of that is a little more art than science but at the end of the day we have not only done that we have all offered today who is our third shot clinic we have created a health clinic on our campuses that are there and available to screen students regularly. And we share a regular update daily with our parents and our community as to what to watch for and the kinds of things that they should be concerned about in terms of monitoring the health of their children. then we have of a full complement of school nurses who are involved in screening as well and these quarantines are something that are not done lightly I can assure you are folks or well trained they're in constant communication with the department of education and their liaison to the Department of Health. The last thing we want is to do anything that doesn't reduce those quarantines obviously and again we're even on our side clinics we've been offering incentives big screen TV's give certificates groceries whatever you can imagine to to have people bring their us young people in for shots until today the turnout has been maybe fifty at the event I understand that the event we're having today has a few more folks in that attending I think that a part of that is we've been sharing the information about the quarantines but in the meantime while all this is going on of those quarantines are keeping at seven hundred odd students out of school and certainly keeping them from being as positive an environment as possible. And that's what we're concerned about if you follow the regulations follow the science do your due diligence we believe that we will not be an anomaly that they're going to be school districts all over the state essentially paralyzed in terms of their capacity to educate their entire student population. So just just so I can summarize grants real quick so you were doing temperature checks when students were walking into your facilities you and what we do not have the capacity to do that because of the short period of time that we run forty buses and those buses travel some twenty five hundred miles twice a day and so those students many of them are moving in and out of the building very rapidly any time we have a report from a teacher that a student appears to have a problem then we yes we immediately put them in a full screening protocol. Follow yes you're recognized how many of your students are currently hospitalized covid. I'm not aware of any but that does not mean that there could it could not happen today and again the hospitalization and the potential medical affects on that particular Childers or something that is going to be controlled by a number of variables the thing that we believe to be the most disconcerting at the moment is the number of students that we will all across the state before to quarantine and who will be missing important educational opportunities that we could fix simply with a local opportunity to implement a mask. Thank you. If I could just add something to and with the superintendent was saying temperature checks alone are actually really you'll eat low yield for screening for covid just because not everybody is positive for COVID will have an actual fever so the and I don't think that the superintendent effort should be discounted because they weren't doing temperature checks. I'm like to build a little more on what representative Pilkington was asking can you hear me all right. Okay of. We know you gave us the number quarantine. But. How long is the quarantine how long do you put them in quarantine. Of the quarantine is usually fourteen days it's you it can mean as many as ten days out of school. and there are ways that the quarantine can be shortened if the student can avail themselves to attesting opportunity and prove that they are negative after an appropriate period of time. But that puts a big burden on the places that do the testing and for our students most of whom are living in some various conditions of poverty accessing those healthcare opportunities in the testing sites is something of a challenge. Thank you terms and I think the CDC guidelines is lower than fourteen days that correct they allow it released from quarantine I believe after seven days if you have a negative test yeah. and and I think representative Pilkington **** question I didn't hear the answer how many of the students are hospitalized. I'm not aware of any at the moment but that again it could happen today and I'm not be aware of it I've been here all day But again the hospitalization is not the only issue the issue is how many students are missing school simply because we do not have the capacity to would you please stick to my questions we we got a lot of people lined up I thought I was. Well my my question was how means hospitalized you said none okay so how many active cases do you have. that one we left this morning it was seven hundred and thirty nine I believe in it seven hundred and thirty this morning and it has gone up since then positive cases skews me positive cases we have When I left this morning it was forty three. Okay. So these pasta cases that'll happen one day here was that the over to time it has happened and it is increasing in frequency of and hopefully it is going down today but are high so far in any one day it's been eighteen. Did you consider or do you think it might be a good action to maybe closes school for a period of seven days. It's not just one school it it would be the entire district because those cases are not isolated to one school but yes we have had a conversation with the liaison at the department of education who continues to monitor our situation very closely and and as a I'm not I'm sure you know their answer relates back to is is your case load within the school district rising faster than it is in the community or vice versa and at the moment their answer has been continue to gather more data so that they can make an educated decision but certainly closing a school after the year we had last year certainly one option would like to avoid. All right thank you for your answers. Represent Pilkington did you have another question under the just have all the other back in the queue all of my fellow colleagues as the questions but I'd like to be okay you need to ring back in okay. Representative Dotson you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair to your left here so last year. I'm assuming you had amassed mandate across your entire school district yes Was that for all grade levels or were. I think ten and under the case now it was it was for all grade levels is for all grade levels yes and did you have any outbreaks whatsoever last year we did but certainly not to the extent that we're experiencing and and the cycle. Okay. And how did students handle the the Compliance with masking last year actually students to on the most part or are fine with it we were like everybody else at parents who had concerns but students for the most part they. Monitor and adjust to their conditions and when everyone's wearing one then it is something that becomes a very comfortable situation for the vast majority of those involved and your staff. Sign. And I think if you if you pole any staff in the conditions that were operating at the moment they're going to tell you they would be extremely comfortable if if they were all mast. Thank you. Representative Bentley you're recognized. Thank you quick question on that you know last year we had mass mandates in place for school school started but even though we have mass mandates in place on this on the Drayton's to Julie or a the position there we still saw a huge spike in cases so even though we had amassed mandate for everyone cases still continue to rise in fact they spiked in December even though we're masking from the time of September so I'm not sure that a. Masking this point committing to affect the cases so to the position over there do you know are you guys early treating these folks when they first get diagnosed we doing any treatments for these kids when they're diagnosed at all I will wait until they get really sick. So there's no proven treatments for people who are not high cost scenic from covid and there's no evidence that there's anything that will help them so it's supportive care at the moment that a child is how hot C. making requiring oxygen the treatment as dexamethasone and plus minus maybe room disappear if the child and a cutely to compensate you can consider took Aliza nab also login knots is used to an. And to help their set cooking because it proves from out of state in that acute phase so will not switch and is a blood thinner is used to help prevent against that but as far as in the early stages when children are first diagnosed and they're not requiring oxygen and they you know it's just Tylenol Motrin lots of fluids and lots of supportive care. Follow UP chairman I would I would greatly disagree with that statement and their physicians across the nation and around the world understand great effects with ivermectin Hydroxychloroquine and other things that they use in beforehand to stop some really again very concerned that we're not doing any any early treatment across the state there are proven methods that I would suggest that you do some more research on that because there are proven methods the positions around the nation stand eighty five percent decrease in any hospitalization so to not do any treatment we can do an eighty five percent decrease and hospitalizations on covered patients is very concerning to me so I would suggest that you would just use more research on things the FDA is not approved all of them but they neither have they approve the vaccinations at all its not been approved so I would I would highly recommend I'm really concerned with that with that statement but we have seen Excuse me I also I know that your other come this is the physician there there other callers if there's not any you haven't seen hospitalizations from children's wearing masks but there have been numerous things that have happened to children some parents took their mask and had them set by the university of Florida and and on those masks that those that were studied by students because we know kids are kids right they're not going to is not a sterile environment like you have in the hospital or in a healthcare facility kids are kids they're gonna drop on the floor the going to go to the bathroom the not going to watch the hands and so these are the things I want you to hear their on this mask and to me I want to ask you this would concern you if you know this is on the mass of children and young children which I want children under the age of twelve wearing these masks there was no monitor working Los's meningitis encephalitis pneumonia bloodstream fictions meningitis you TI resistant to antibiotics E. coli Lyme disease and to me as a nurse or to children's hospitals concerning was stuff Akaka's staphylococcal meningitis that was found on the masses so these are things that parents are reading these are things that parents are concerned about so. I could you understand why parent might be concerned if they read the studies and those are on the mask or parents that that might be their best choice on whether child should wear a mask a young child under the age of twelve that does not know how to wear masks correctly is not going to the thing be concerning for them to hear that report. So I can say that yes I've had parents who have been concerned about masking of share those things with me and we have talked through that evidence and we've talked through those things and we are not seeing children being admitted certainly not with staphylococcal meningitis every urinary tract infections for wearing a mask so and what we are seeing is children being admitted with COVID and so that what has been proven as that mask do you stop that spread of covid and I'm happy to talk with you later about the studies and it kind of goes through wear and go through them and everything but honestly we are seeing children in the hospital because of covid not from these other things. One last follow up chairman I would I would disagree and say that I'll give you one more one last lesson last one fob so I I I appreciate we're only we only to work on this together we're concerned about this for sure but again we'll when we were having mass mandates in Arkansas and everyone was where we're still sees spike in increasing cases so I guess we can agree to disagree not work on this together so thank you jim. Okay I see that we've had some non members of the committee and run here to ask questions As you all know we're breaking new ground here. So we're counting you know trying to learn as we go along so I have consulted with the chamber and and with the parliamentarian and since we're in a regular committee and not a joint committee I cannot take questions from non members so going forward that would be the rule. So representative Alan you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman and this questions was from school superintendent I appreciate you being here today the superintendent I was one if you have received any guidelines from the apartment education private seal school started. We continue to receive guidelines from the Department on almost a daily basis year round on the radi of topics certain some of those related back to continued adherence to the directions that we've been given an in the past in terms of of protocols for students. Okay everyone follow if yes you have a short. this of course is from the epidemiologist or the infection control person up. I like sports. And whenever there's a boxing match. The the referee gives instructions. And one of the restrictions that the referee will tale of the boxes. Your call to the centering. ASA protect yourself at all times. Would you agree. That we need to try to protect ourselves at all times from the stars because this is an in invisibly an invisible enemy and we don't know whether any missile wing at women when the infamous austrac if the enemy school distracting would you agree. So I would advocate highly that everybody who is eligible to be vaccinated get vaccinated that is one method of protection everyone else and even people who are vaccinated there's increasing data that shows that and that we in high transmission areas we all need to be masking and that I would say that for everyone to protect themselves and protect our children and that we should allow masks yes thank you. But not defender right I had a question for you and I appreciate you coming and presenting what's happening at Merion it's very helpful to us but it have one of the questions and you maybe don't have this information but do you have a break down on age the people that are active cases and quarantine you have any kind of a breakdown on aids like elementary down or the elementary up. I don't I don't have an exact number but when we look Friday and we're examine again we're trying to compile this that on a weekly basis so there's not false positives or. But about a third of our quarantine came from students who were an elementary school the vast majority of our quarantines came form basically our junior high school students who. Are more active and more social and non. In all our. Maybe not monitor their activities or maybe not monitored as closely as our elementary students are at particular out of school soldiers so you you saw more in the junior high than the high school that is at yes but that was for a a one week period we might get a different result this week again we exit we continue to provide the date of the department of education who continues to look at our numbers school by school. Even grade by grade and then we. We are allowing them to analyze their concerns about where the the Most cases are coming from but the overarching concern for us again Mr chairman is just that. We have seven hundred students out of school for an extended period of time that would have still been in school if we had had the opportunity to have the mast and that's as far as our signs goes we just we just know if there something will help us keep our kids in school that's a good thing. So would you your any within your system we had multiple campuses did that help you in the isolation or or did the buses cross are you follow what I'm asking you to help you in the quarantine on March screwed up one question I don't screw up a little. No I'm just curious did it help you isolated on different campuses are all your campuses together no Sir they are not okay so you have separate campuses separate bus systems so did that help you in containing this at all it helped us to identify where the cases were coming from but it doesn't necessarily until you reach a point where the data there's sufficient data to reach a a scientific conclusion of you really are still. More or less flying blind but in but the data we are collecting is being analyzed by scientists in a very clinical manner in as soon as they tell us or there's something significant there we're going to take immediate action. That's what that action is still very limited. Thank you for that a member's view would hold in your discussions and please go outside if you need to talk one other. Representative Pilkington you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman I appreciate being here I'm sorry superintendent the if my question seems so. Picking I'm just trying to get and understand the situation on the ground you at all no the vaccination rates of your faculty and the vaccination rates of your students over twelve who are eligible for the vaccine our vaccination rates for a faculty I think or when we last checked were somewhere in the seventy five percent range our student vaccination rates or changing day again we had a a a shot clinic today and there will be on a number of our students who were there a gathering that data is a little more laborious process and it's something that we certainly are going to have I just can't give you a specific number we've been busy dealing with chasing students and and and trying to figure out quarantining of protocols in an effort to try to slow the process down but I can assure you we are. We're advertising doing everything we can encourage our students to vaccinate and I really don't imagine that our student vaccination rate is significantly different than anyone else is in the State. Okay thank you that got a quick follow up as well yes you're recognized and this could be answered by you are the the pediatrician I'm sorry I didn't catch your name do you do you think that. It would be more advantageous for us this to prevent outbreaks if we delayed school until after Labor Day. If the infection rate that we're seeing right now with the delta very and so great that some believe that it was it will spike the next four to five weeks and I will be on the other end do you think it would be better for us to postpone school until after Labor Day so that we would get a better outcome in that we went over burned our our health care facilities and either one. That's a bit of a hard question because we don't really know what's going to happen after Labor Day I mean if the case is keep going keep going keep going and we don't ever plateau or start to decrease then there will never be a good time to open school. So All Things Considered the other thing is that kids need to be in school I mean there's so many resources that are provided to them you know what. What I would hope is that you know all the adults in Arkansas would take would be invested and the outcomes of their children it would take all steps necessary to make it to our school be safe and that we could do that as soon as possible. I can't say I don't have a crystal ball I can't tell you what's going to happen between now and Labor Day if things are going to calm down by Labor Day or if they're just going to keep getting worse so I'm hesitant to just give you an absolute like that. Representative Gonzalez you're you're recognized for a question I thank Mr I have a couple probably pretty quick wins if you allow of first one of the superintendent had have you had any I'm right here in front of the. Excuse me all I'm sorry that's all right yeah I understand I can use of it is when I'm lonely and everywhere the have you had any communication from the from the department of education on the mask mandates in the schools any written communication from on what Sir on mask mandates. And schools. Of cross the country or no the the Arkansas department of education are the has the Arkansas department can communicate with us about meant mass minutes now okay I know we we have been doing and I'll some research anecdotally in terms of what other states are doing and you know obviously as you will know it's a mixed bag. Okay a follow up Mr yes you're recognized thank you the so your your school districts and Marion yes Sir correct okay didn't know exactly where that was I try to look it up on on the go kart and spotted the State. Compared the us trying to compare to this map that we've got here I don't know if you have that as that is sought it looks like everything around that area does not fall into that group of fifty or more per ten thousand it is is that your understanding that this would not even apply to your district at this time it's my understanding that at the moment. We might not qualify have no concern that it would be qualifying very quickly I thank the scary part it is is interpreting that data if we don't qualify. And yet we're having already seven to eight hundred quarantines in our school district then thank you what happens when we do eventually meet those benchmarks how many kids will we have had to appointing prior to reaching that total so what I do believe as I do believe that if we're not there yet we have to be right on the razor's edge I I'd like for Dr Thompson to address that because you know in putting this together you know the process I was trying to narrow it down to what makes sense and so those hot red zones kind of made sense but that's not what the CDC says the CDC would back it up a little bit all let him explain that a little bit more so again I want to point out if there are changes to this you know I'm open to adjusting to what needs to be done so Tucker Thompson. So the thresholds the we selected last year were from the Minnesota public health policy or Minnesota public health model not the CDC model because Minnesota look more like Arkansas then New York state and the central urban area have a lot of rural areas and so they had this green yellow orange red and we adopted that last year. The CDC threshold for high contagion is at the transition point from green to yellow that's where the CDC would say take action represent Mayberry's bill is at the orange to read when we release stated tomorrow I believe Merion will be orange so in picking the threshold ideally you would want to pick the trash before school was in trouble but I think it's predictable that any school that's in red will be in trouble very quickly and I do agree with the superintendent Marion they were green the last two weeks of July they were orange gonna be orange tomorrow they'll be read the next. Yeah yeah I'm not understand that the you know things progress but my point being that right now all of this would have absolutely zero effect on your on your school district in your current situation. But but but we can wait. The. What we've learned to be patient of. Can I have one more follow up questions one more all right thank you see you had mentioned that you would be open to to some type of limits and I think one one of the things that drove people crazy about the mask mandates previously where the inconsistencies on students had a worm in a classroom football players get on football field and tackle each other slobber all over each other and and not have a mask on until they had to go back to the sideline then had a six foot distance cheerleaders had the six but business on the sideline and wear a mask they couldn't get close to each other bandmembers could actually cut holes in their mass so they can blow their instruments so if we have something like this man is it right that sounds crazy right so if we have something like this anywhere in such a bad pandemic that we have to mandate mask for these kids would you support an amendment that would just shut off all extra curricular activities. At that point. On that you are trying to get me fired. I totally agree with you representative there were some. There were some decisions that were made by. Groups that were hard to understand hard to defend. And some I did not do that either I did not agree with. Extracurricular activities are hugely important in the lives of our students just as they are and any others but I think particular for students living in poverty there with a lifeline. But I thank the the statement at that you might is essentially accurate there were a lot of things that were a little goofy. But we still believe that they worked and that they helped and at this point Act I would be willing to discuss anything that would give us the option to have the local choice of putting mask on our students at least until we get past this. New research which I believe is is is much more dangerous than anything we've encountered to this state. You're done. Last year Ferguson you're recognized for a question. Yes can you compared to last year at a similar search when you could have mass mandates how many people were you quarantining man. Of maybe at the heights. Not exactly somewhere between the worst days we probably had for two to three hundred and those were very very isolated instances the difference for last for between last in this year's simply that last year we were dealing primarily with older students and adults. And those older students and adults were easier to The convenience and to monitor and to maintain in terms of the overall protocols for safety. When you start dealing with the young students. Arm you want to make certain that you are. Mandating providing every imaginable service possible to keep them safe. And again my concern is that we. These numbers are are numbers that are extraordinarily high. The rest of the state has not experienced what we're going through yet I do not believe we are prepared as a state or a medical community to deal with the consequences of what will happen if we continue to move forward in this manner. And for us our big concern is just the level of Contagious nous that has been elevated because of this new variant and the fact that we're dealing with younger children. And I guess a follow up so I mean say kid had months would you do a similar quarantine with with that child is absolutely would follow whatever medical protocol is is as outlined And I. We're we're simply asking for the for a premise that I think is a. a solid bedrock of of of any conservative mentality and that is give us as much choice as we can to do what we need to do locally. Thank you. Representative when you're recognized for a question thank you Mister chair I just a couple quick questions of the forty three positive test that you had or that you currently have how many of those are siblings or neighbors. I don't have that answer I can make one up if you will but I'll be glad to provide that for you I just don't have that information I'm going to tell you that I don't believe there will be a very many but there could be some thank you at all then so as we look at the seven hundred plus that have been quarantine where they quarantine with a six foot rule or a three foot rule they were quarantine by. Whatever is the latest direction from the department of education I can assure you our team is All of very very thorough and as a matter of fact our state of our school nurses is miss Kelly Fogelman and she was just named Arkansas school nurse of the year and she earned that reputation I can assure you if I'm ever incapacitated I will her pot by my bedside as long as she doesn't have a weapon. Of the of those who have been a court and that's a good endorsement right there the of those who've been quarantine how many of those of tested positive. The numbers that I gave you or the positives of Now I'm terrible with numbers I know we got forty three total but was there any of the seven hundred that have been quarantined because of exposure those forty three how many of those of tested positive I can't give you that number but that the theory being the faster we got them away from those who had public tested positive the better off they're going to be and they will obviously go through a number of protocols before they're allowed back in of the population. Thank you very much appreciate use. Representative Miller you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair of. I guess just to kind of cut down to it here the reason that we're here having this discussion period is because. People are voluntarily wearing masks. A number of. With a I mean I think we can all agree on that. so it and I don't I'm not gonna argue whether it is or it isn't but if the situation so desperate. And all of our communities. While. Our people. Not volunteering to wear masking do. What according to these. Studies or or testimony that we're here and do what is necessary to to stop the spread is there is there an answer as to why That's not have. I just wanna say that in Madison there are lots of times we ask people to do the right thing by themselves we ask people to eat right we ask people to exercise we ask people not to look their phones before they go to bed and people are just human and they just don't do it. And I don't I don't. It is hard for me I I hate it and and I wish that there was you know if if we can give every positive incentive in the world I mean by all means I would say do it do whatever it takes to get people to wear more mass do whatever it takes to get people vaccinated. But I. As far as why aren't people merry wearing mask will people are human. I have a follow up Mr yes go ahead. Thank you of. You're right I'll completely agree we're all human and and mass start one of. Stop us from being human so my next question is this. To. Prevacid. Product in my district. I'm a product of the people who hired me. That I work for. And. I will never. Well I guess my question is are we smarter. Then the people that we work for. Then the humans. That are being human by wearing or not wearing their masks. Are we in this room. Whether it's the all testify under I sitting here making these decisions are we smarter than the people we work. Go. But we don't quite understand that the question but I just a general statement that what this bill allows is for your district the schools the school board in your district to make the determination and if they decide that they don't want to require the mass then that's what takes place in your school district but let's say representative Allen's has some school districts that would fall in this then that school board can make the determination there and I believe that that's how. Our law should be made to allow the flexibility so that the people so that one does not cover all and we're trying to give flexibility and I think that's the goal here. What we have the flexibility if we're under or around this threshold correct. At six seven again because I'm not quite sure can sure that I'm understand bill correct we have if this bill were to pass there would be flexibility for our school districts if there under. This threshold of of whatever if they meet that threshold they would have the option to make that decision if there under that threshold they don't even have the option to make that decision and again we can change that threshold I'm I'm not so sold on what it is I mean we're we're hearing Marion and the experience there maybe we needed to be seven days instead of fourteen days so we can react quicker I'm I'm willing to discuss whatever options there are but I believe in giving local control because I don't know what your district looks like my district is two different our school district covers two different counties and there might be a high infection rate in a different part of selling County and a very small infection rate and my portion of sterling county which is included with the shared in school district and I want my school board to be able to look at the boundaries within that school district what is the situation there. And make deterrent make decisions based on parent feedback faculty feedback doctors in the area other medical professionals getting information from the department of health getting information from the department of education and making that is local of a decision as possible I don't want to take away any tool from someone to help protect kids that's all I'm trying to do is give them one other tool this is a tool that we're saying they can't use. Thank you represent member thank you Mr. Representative Alan you're recognized thank you. Actually no the viruses have a adverse impact on our economy I academic housing and mental health. As well as our lifestyles. I have care system has been stressed to his capacity. In the state of Arkansas we had over three hundred and ninety two thousand cases six six thousand two and fifteen downs. in this United US we had. Thirty five point three million. Diagnoses. Over six hundred fourteen thousand this. At what point will be too late to prevent mass COVID infections. In this. That's a really good question and I don't know if I know the answer to it I see doctor Thompson is conveniently also walked away and. I don't know when it's too late but I can tell you that never it's probably too late. Thank you. Representantes unless you're recognized for a question they Mr just a follow up from a previous out of he got a very political answer. My my politician on that but On that said. Minister would win if any of y'all all of you would you would you support that at that amendment to shut down extracurricular activities of the pandemic got to the point where we have to require mascot and classrooms. And I and I completely understand that extracurricular activities are are important they're important part of learning but I wouldn't say that there. As important as may be students reading on grade level I don't know where where your school stance on that percentage. Not unlike the sponsor of the bill I think. This is a negotiating process I'm not telling you that We're not willing to put anything on the table to provide for the safety of our students. there are already processes in place to eliminate extracurricular activities when the appropriate level of of activity in terms of the virus is detected but certainly if there needs to be another look at that while I'm confident it would be almost as unpopular as my being here today the that's certainly something we that I I'm I'm open to anything I've got seven hundred and some odd kids not in school today and that makes me sick and the number's gonna go up and I've got some young students who I can't love their parents nine tell them I'm doing everything that we believe scientifically possible to take care of their kids and that makes me sicker. So I'm simply trying to explain that whether you solve this now. Or you wait. I think Arkansas is headed to a very difficult place if this particular mandate stays in force I think it's going to be one that we will all look back on and say. We would not have made that decision had you have the the information that's available to you today. And that's human nature I'm not upset or blaming anybody I'm just asking folks to step back and look at it with where we are today. I'd also like to kind of address that. The way that the call was written is very specific on this one issue and I think that the amendment that you are asking me to add in there although I'm open to the idea is I don't know if I can have that in there based on the call because this morning I was planning on filing other pieces to this and had to take it all because. The call was very narrowly narrow Wheatley narrow lead. Worded so I don't know how far outside of that town's I'd like to give our school districts. As many tools as they can. But I don't know if we can do that during this session and maybe that's maybe that's the the discussion that we need to have to I'm not the legal expert on this that would take you know talking to others who no more but I'd like to give our school districts as many tools as possible. Just follow your let me push back. I guess more of just a response of if you will is amended we can do whatever we want two thirds of the House and Senate week we can add whatever whatever amendments we feel are necessary and also the calls. When you're. What will you help me convince two thirds of the members to be in support of working on this. The representative Bentley you're recognized for a question thank you chairman I'm gonna apologize to the position here is this question is to you and I really read for Dr time somebody left someone ask you if you need help with this question and we're all very concerned very concerned about code in our state and I don't want to think that we're not because we we definitely are my question is looking at the recent breakthroughs that we've seen in vaccinated individuals in Israel it eighty four percent and messages and that recent break up people that got the covered work seventy five percent of them were vaccinated so do you think that allowing students to develop a natural immunity. Is a saver so that we could do from at this point because we've gone from alpha variant to the delta brand which is more to me it out I regret create your opinion on that it might have been if we had back at **** last year they had developed some natural beauties we wouldn't be here today with so many cases so that's my concern or whatever like you thoughts on that because we know that children are getting they're not they're sick when they get it is adults are in letting them develop some actually metes might be the best thing in the long run for students because this is it's not going anywhere codes here for awhile so I would like your thoughts on that thank you. And so the breakthrough cases with people who have been vaccinated those people are not ending up in the hospital unlike the unvaccinated and group there's also data that shows that if somebody has and if you compare natural immunity to the vaccine immunity so when you get the virus itself you're seeing lots of different things to make antibodies against. Including this right spike protein which is like the major gateway in but you're not when you get the vaccine you just get the spike protein and that's what you're means system is trained to so it's almost like you've been given a cheat sheet for like an English literature test now like here's all the answers all the questions and Shakespeare and said somebody just thrown years all of Shakespeare's works you know and you have to read through it and said somebody's giving you that cheat sheet and you know what to do and at that the immunity from the vaccine seems to be stronger and the natural immunity so and we also have the ability to use vaccines and you know they're working on potentially doing boosters potentially doing the booster specific for the Delta variants which should be even stronger so and now I do not think that natural infection is better I think that vaccination when with for the children that is eligible for it that is better. Representative Johnson you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair so I've heard you it's been brought up and I can't remember who all brought it up but it's been brought up I think a couple times regarding local control giving the district back the the ability to make that local decision because the local decision that you make you know better than we do what your local situation is I mean I would submit to you that a parent knows better what their local situation is then even the school board does for their child they're they're the ones that are closest to their child and and know their child situation Better than a government entity so they'll most local control is is the family and is is a parent I guess if we were to give you that local control of being able to mandate mass within your district would you be supportive of allowing a parent to pull their child from her district and the dollars to follow that child so that they could have education for their child that is best for their child. I think there are already laws in place that allows. And students to move from one district to the next based on their of what they feel is an appropriate place for their educational experience and again I'm not representing any group but if you told me that that's the choice that rule is required to be made for us to be able to mandate mass in our school district and know that we're taking care of our students in the best way possible and someone wanted to move their students because of that choice. that's a small price to pay. Okay I think there's an alternative bill has been filed in the Senate to that effect so look forward to hearing the debate on that when that comes up follow up Mr yes recognized I don't know in this maybe a question somebody stand up or. Who signed up later to speak but is the school board association or superintendents association I'm here to testify in support of this bill what what's their position on this they ask for. All that. I I have shared this with them they are aware of it but I'm not gonna speak on their behalf I don't know if they're here. Yes they are here and I would much prefer them to come and talk to you I'm not gonna at all put words in their mouths hopefully we can hear from them soon thank you. Representative Pilkington you're recognized thank you Mr chairman So. I think representative bill Mayberry didn't say is that corrections that would ban the tool which we didn't ban the pool we banned. The mask mandates a you can still wear mask you want to at school and you know and to talk with my superintendent you know when the things we talked about was just encouraging people to wear meant if they're concerned about it and so in Marianna I'm curious when you had your first case did you at any time say listen we can't do a mandate but for the love of god please put on a mask so that we don't have to send more kids home did that ever occur or was it just you know member is never stopped. So you had people wearing mask at the school no we begin immediately prior to even the start of school to encourage our teachers to understand the importance of wearing masks themselves and encouraging their students to wear those masks what was the compliance rate of that for the faculty and staff it's pretty high for the students it's what you would expect it's a hit or miss depending on the class that they're in their activity it's certainly not something that's going to add to the efficacy of the safety that we're trying to to instill I guess wearing a mask for any time is better than not wearing a mask at all but again when you have. A fully masked classroom you have the maximum level of safety that you can achieve the of one student in there to students who aren't mast that compromises the integrity of the entire model in terms of the science. So we're simply trying to do what it do everything we can to create a safe environment as possible for our students and it would be done in conjunction with in communication with our parents and certainly in a way that I think our school board would very diligently assess the entire circumstance before making a decision okay just so I'm I'm correct on here you even before school started used in the mass mandate bill into a fact which I believe is July twenty seventh you're saying listen we still want you to wear masks even that we can mandated and you had some compliance but issues with students being compliant correct yes okay thank you. Can can I just also share a thought all sort of along this lines and and I understand Right now a teacher cannot smoke in the classroom. Why do we tell the teacher that her personal choice of smoking. Cannot be done in the classroom. And the reason for that is because when she blows out or he blows out it could potentially cause some harm. To the students in the room. Now we don't know how long it's gonna take for that harm to occur we don't we don't even know for sure that harm is going to occur to that child that they're going to get cancer from it. But I think we're all in agreement that we don't want our teachers smoking in the classroom. So that teachers personal freedom. Ended where that child's right to breathe the fresh air ended. I think we need to put the kids first in the city situation. And consider that as well. The a representative cloud you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman Dr young I'm I'm going to ask you for your opinion we've heard several times here today a representative Mayberry just said we want to do what's best for the child we want to do the very best if you look around the room there's several different types of mask and a part of my concern is if if we're not going to be disingenuous about this and say that that we're going to do the best and I know that you can argue that any mask will be better than no mask I don't dispute that argument but. If this body says it okay it's okay to mandate mask then why should we mandate in ninety fives that are properly fitted that we know we're going to protect not only the other students as doctor offender referred referred to but it's going to protect that individual students and so that's that's what I'm wondering is is you know not all master created equal so corrects not all master creative equal N. ninety five are that have been set tested are by far the best I have no idea how you would. Logistically Polhov fit testing an acquiring enough and ninety fives that fit different kids of different ages and in different sizes and you know if I could have my cake and eat it too by all means let's get in and ninety five for every kid I don't know if we I mean if we can physically possibly do that It's but you know. Follow up please yes you're recognized okay so maybe maybe that's kind of improbable of that we agree that it would be best I think a from a medical point of view so doctor offenders not been able to take temperatures whether or not that's going to be and an insult to all I don't think it would be but if we use everything in the arm and tarian to help prevent the spread we're going to be better than. Saying well if you want to send your kid to school is going to have to wear a mask but we're not going to define what I'm asking is I again I think we're being disingenuous thank you. All right seeing no more questions from the committee we do have six people signed up to speak against the bill and want to speak for the bill and legislators that are not members of this committee when I said earlier you can ask questions you do have the right to sign up in the back to speak for against the bill if you choose to do that. So we will thank you all very much for your discussion your comments. So we'll start with someone to speak. Four okay to speak against the bill Dallas green. You would come forward. And the introduce yourself and who you represent and you are speaking against the bill okay please enter your cell. I'm Dallas green. I'm just a mom today. If you would move closer to the Mike so we can hear you very well yeah I'm I'm I'm just I'm not really representing anyone today other than my children okay. Thanks first of all I'd like to say that I follow the same research that representative Mary Bentley must follow because I agree with her one hundred percent we had COVID in my family and we use documented in H. C. Q. and I know that doesn't relate that goes against the echo chamber that's been going on around here but it works. So for me to sit here for an hour and listen to how people are sending their children home just to suffer when there is medication that does work I find that to be criminal and collect full I am against the mask I'm sure that doesn't surprise any of you all and you can't tell me that the study that the parents did in Florida when they sent their children to mass to a lab isn't correct if anybody has I detention to at a gym floor carpet there's all kinds of MRSA in all kinds of stuff that grows on that same thing with the mask. Kids are gonna be sanitary with a mask a cloth mask their favorite mask the one that doesn't bother there in years the one that they have to have every day that's not going to get washed like it should it's not sanitary so for someone to sit up here and say that there's not Mar sat on it or some sort of bacteria that cause bacterial pneumonia is incorrect and to say that they only have COVID patients in children's hospital is insane we have just sat here and listened from other people about how our species going around well take the mask off the kids and I bet they don't have or as big in the summer time. I am a nurse by the way. These responses benefit what about the gain of function do any day any of you all know that gain of function. This is everybody is uncomfortable you all may be uncomfortable in here but you're asking children twelve to four to be uncomfortable a lot for eight hours a night it is okay for wrestlers and football players to speak it and drink after each other and roll around on top of each other without a mask this make any sense there's no consistency. Okay so you can't play sports football so important well in this state we have re arranged or later C. curriculum. Imparted that curriculum there is a sound wall in elementary classes kindergarten through second grade in most of them. If they're following the letter C. law there have been a sound wall the sound wall is a picture of an adult males right here. That's all you see in is the adult making the sound that's part of their reading curriculum. Now. If I messed up and the kids are messed up nobody can see that. So it does in paid academics. And as far as leaving something up to a school board as a literacy advocate I find that a joke because I have traveled this host state for over six years going into schools fighting for kids to get what they need because the school board system did work doesn't work to the point that we've had to pass later see walls countless literacy laws because the school board system does it work for parents first of all if you have a complaint you have to submit what you're complaining is to many school boards you can't just go to the school board meeting and talk you have to sit me it the complaint and then if they feel like that complaint is valid enough then they'll let you speak and then at some school boards around the state they will not even respond back they send you a letter. This is not letting the individual decide. And for Republicans to run this bill it goes against the party platform. The alternate minority is the individual your trade non meat I don't agree with just getting a co the diagnosis in going home until they decide to throw you in a bit so they can make more money yes. Hospitals are overwhelmed but you have all these nurses that don't want to get the shot I don't blame. You have Boise's there's all kinds of research about how bullies who get the shot then they have mild Thark court S. or pericarditis what is heart disease. We want children to have heart disease or something that they're having ninety eight percent ninety nine percent chance of surviving. That You know they're not even doing temperature checks is so worried about it but they're not even doing temperature checks. You would think that there would be some kind of if they can't if they can't monitor that in the not gonna be able to monitor may I ask who's wearing them. It is not aware of who's got an exemption who that's that's another the person's job and nurses school nurses they already have enough you already have been sending home BMI reports up DO in insulin and all sorts of things and as a literacy advocate I have watched Julie Mayberry for the past six or seven years go into education committees and beg for walls. Because her school board system didn't work for her. It's not this is not the answer it's set to the parent so we're going to let those schools be are they gonna be in charge when the site keeps changing and eventually the sciences going to cite the mast in work so are all the schools going to be liable for everything that happened to some of these children including organ failure because they could breed. That's all I have to say is just my opinion in my opinion does matter. Thank you for your comments. Okay to speak for the bill Mike Hernandez I hope I pronounced that correctly. And then this. Please introduce yourself for the record who you represent. Senate. Sir thank you chairman of my command as executive director for the Arkansas association of educational administrators and You know we're here to speak in support of this bill and and I I can be out to say that just like you know many of you in your communities there is not wide consensus on what is the right approach to take with this This pandemic and so you know we were very appreciative representative Mayberry reaching out to us and and send and some some of our language and taking some comments back from us so we can share with our members to see what their opinion was about this bill we did so this morning and and seem to have an overwhelming response that there was support for this type of bill obviously there are some that do not feel like this is is it appropriate path and and would much rather see a Mandate you know come from a higher level potentially and and kind of the the dilemma with that is that you know we're we're educators I still have faith in what our department of health says you know what our local physicians tell us is that this is a very serious pandemic and and advice that we're getting locally is that mask or important but when we look everywhere you know that's not of as the surges is come back up you know that's not something that's widely utilized all all and in all areas of of our community and so it leaves us with that spot of saying what is that middle ground what's the right approach to take with this and so you know represent mayor Mayberry said at the beginning that this was not a bill that everybody lacks so she felt like she was on to something and so I think what we're asking for is that you know this bill definitely be considered you know if there are modifications that might be made to make it better to be able to keep our kids safe I think that that's kind of the bottom line that we're looking for is can we can we listen to our health experts and make a wise decision and and what's the best approach and knowing that we really want to keep our kids in school without you know delaying days in those types of things and you're up superintendent Glenn Fenner alluded to a lot of things that they're going through in their district and we know that that's going to be probably something to come if cases continue to move in this direction and so I think our plead for or this body is to you know consider this bill as well as any modifications that may make it a little bit more palatable but we need we need help and support you know leaving it back to the local board to make the decision without any kind of guard rails is something that we would have some concerns about But we feel like with this body with their health experts in our districts we can find some way to partner and make the best decision we can for kids thank you. Thank you for your comments. Okay to speak. Against the bill. Pamela Boyd Shiels. You would please introduce yourself and who you represent. Commander Pamela Boyd Scheels I'm retired navy I'm a mother a grandmother and great grandmother and the very first thing I'd like to say is that individual citizens are willing and capable of managing their own affairs without government intervention and I'm here representing myself. If you pass this bill I want everyone of you that vote yes to it to go to your closest elementary school the second week I want you to go into those classrooms. Excuse me gentlemen I'm talking. I want to go to each of those classrooms with a second grade teacher and I wanted to see how long those kids keep their mask on. Then I want your ground I want yes Johnny and Susie. How many days of the war that mask because if you're wearing a paper mask you need to be changing it every day they say four to eight hours is how long that mass last and some of you in here that your mask on way too low. Even if you go home and throwing your war sure there are some things you cannot get rid of. So I want you to be aware of that when we're dealing with children from the ages of four five to twelve. I believe that every parent in Arkansas. Every grandparent that is raising children. Is this smart as anybody in this room. I believe I'm as smart as anybody in this room. And for you to say that the school district is smarter than I am is the wrong answer. These children matter as much to me I joined the armed forces to protect their rights and your rights. But you need to look at the big picture in a small area that's it historically a poor area of Arkansas do you think parents are going out every day to buy new mask. Or you as a group or to provide new mass for everybody in this state every day no you're not. I would expect one or two of you take when you go into that class receives your Johnny to make arrangements to pick their mascot sent off to the lab and see what's on it I'm the person that sent that out to thirty five W.. That told about the parents the sixteen parents in Florida and what were on those masks when they turn them in. What was an adult. And he had those masks so breeding in and out in and out in and out now. You know you're going to get something. And I just do not think that mask need to be mandated by school boards or school districts they need to be mandated by a parent that is the smartest you thank you. Thank you for your comments a representative Mayberry. If you would come up we have a question for you. The representative Wardlaw you're you're recognized for a question thank you Mr. Represented by a very few go to page two with me and I should've done this earlier sorry I didn't but I sit here thinking through all this testimony your page two line thirty one you limit this to sixty days so roughly sixty days you're looking at a three and a half months semester see looking at most of the semester if they voted to. Of Mandatum mask in in these populations are you amended bill to lowering those days from sixty It is is that an option that you would address so yes so originally my idea was thirty and I'll tell you how I came up with sixty first of all this is maximum so a school district could say it's two weeks it's thirty days it's forty five days the school district would have those options at their disposal to choose what they think is right there the reason why I moved it to sixty was because I had someone who is a former school board member say that if you did it at just thirty and that's the maximum. Every thirty days this might be topic at the local school board. And that's an awful lot of pressure on that school board to have to constantly every month if they need to have to talk about it and they might not get anything else accomplished in their meetings that's why I moved to two sixty but if the agreement or the majority say it should be thirty. I'm for that but that's where that logic came from. And I'm sorry what is going to sound like combative when I say this but I'm not worried about the pressure to school board I'm absolutely worried about the pressure on the kids and the teachers within that school districts so it you know I do believe that mass I personally believe they mitigate this for it I listen Lee Johnson who is a doctor of listen to the medical experts listed health department I do like the fact that your bill hi like stuff the high points Arkansas column but I think sixty days is extremely too long and I think that doesn't put a motor or some on the school board itself to revisit that often enough personally I would feel more comfortable with a two week or three thirty daytime period that way at least they're meeting periodically and if this map changes. In that period then they're able to lift that mandate on those kids at that point of we can talk after committee but I I wanted to point that out to I think sixty days is a little bit too long because that's basically almost two thirds of the semester at. I'm open to that idea that's just where my the advice that we shared with me and I said you've got some points there but we can change that date if if if that's what I need to do. By all means I'll be happy to make that change thank you. Thank you represent Mayberry okay. A doctor Joe Thompson. You would come forward to speak for the bill. In a please introduce yourself again for the record who represent. Thank you Mr chairman and secretary Thompson presidency of the Arkansas center for health improvement and I'm here to speak for the bill I probably look like these mask less than anybody in the entire state of Arkansas to say that for the record but I'm here to speak for the bill because we are in a new fight and our kids are at risk this bill I would advocate should go further the threshold should be lowered to the warns threshold and it should be extended beyond the call to thirteen fourteen fifteen year olds that have not been protected we're in a different place today than we were last spring when this body and the governor's signature handcuffed local decision makers to prevent them from being able to require masks a representative Miller's comments earlier I would explicitly point out you took away local decision making control for protecting our kids we're in a different fight last summer last spring when you pass that we had COVID petit you had COVID fatigue and we saw light at the end of the tunnel we were in charge of the parent COVID R. us we've lost that control the Delta variant is not the same virus is attacking our kids is attacking younger people. For those that are less than twelve they do not now have a vaccine available they may by the end of the calendar year my expectation is that the next two months in this force far are going to be very very difficult and that we will be in a different place in four to five months but our locales need the ability with their decision making to put masks in place to keep the kids in school to keep the Delta variant from spreading and for the safety of our kids children's hospitals had a tripling in the number of hospitalizations just in the last few weeks COVID was not a problem for them last year it is becoming a problem now any cedar a hospital numbers for younger adults you see it in our death numbers which are almost all preventable had people moved from an unprotected situation to a protected situation we're in a different fight now the delta variant is more than two and a half times is infectious it clearly attacks are younger people in our children and we're sailing into a school year with your hand cuffs on local individuals and I would implore with you release those handcuffs so that local individuals can make decisions based upon local knowledge local control and local influence thank you I'll be glad to take any questions. A single questions thank you for your comments thank you. to speak against the bill Kenneth Wallace. Please introduce yourself for the record and who you represent. And Kenny Wallace engage citizen not represent any organization of any use of this will be on rebel account keep Arkansas legal on also in parlor Gavin me we you to pass politically censored me. talent speech why government officials should be given more power we're going to give the kind of a political context of this bill war say ACT one oh two that this bill would alter aquilo to gives local control to parents teachers and students any change that one or two will give power to the education bureaucrats that are politically different than the overwhelming number of voters in Arkansas. this Republican super majority legislature has already given a decision officials of their their way regarding critical race theory the special election tax increases in the stoppage of school choice on top of millions of taxpayer dollars. Regarding the treatment of the communist bioweapon notice COVID nineteen Dr Vladimir Zilingo has been using this link protocol for over a year that uses hydroxyl can address according cocktails eleven months ago you had Dr Simone golden Arkansas I'm strong in this room testify about using a drug to corporate and. In actual cases it scientifically superseded a CDC study. Regarding the spread of this gain of function disease notice COVID nineteen an article from August first from doctor for website states more border agents at eagle pass Texas processing's processing center of Tesco also referred covid no the taxes is doing things like passing self deportation laws and building the wall nothing is being done on a federal level by the higher harassed by administration regarding the the stoppage of illegal immigration. All or Arkansas government health and education officials seem to have an indoor policy and how much COVID is actually being caused by the movement of illegal aliens which you know are being Boston even flown. To various states. And yet every press conference Asa Hutchinson had with his daily report on Tuesday in the committee meetings with him and Dr Meryl seem to have more of a lie by omission policy leaving out the usage of the lifesaving drugs usually followed by a vaccine Damascus or the only way sales pitch no less I have heard a hospital still woman minister the medicine that has been proven to work and it seems pharmacies are somehow being bullied regarding the prescriptions of things like ivermectin hydroxyl court and there's also a scene liable mission policy regarding the spread of code regarding illegal immigration a sum was actually asked about this yesterday and only said that it was a good question. A better solution to deal with the COVID of. The issue is the past self deportation laws would reduce not only the number of illegal aliens that may spread COVID but also not conduct crime welfare dependency in other negatives another solution is to promote the usage of alternate drugs instead of suppressing them. Allen overall the mascot Maxine Act the. It's been pushed for well over a year and most people who want to where they were going to in those that won't won't mask overall only transom Aaron particles and usually can become contaminated unless changed regularly and leave little former person status for at least four hours most adults don't even wear them properly. Government officials local included of not always act in the best interest in regards to children public in general regarding this. We need to do is keep act want to the way it is does it need to be a another bill to change it or suppose it compromise to whatever bill to change it. Vote no on house bill one O. three. Mascot. Thank you for your comments. Representative flowers you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr. I and someone who actually believes that this bill doesn't go nearly far enough. I've course come from a different part of the state in a different perspective from those who may be speaking against the bill. I also have had my own personal experiences with COVID. And even have had my own personal experience with this variant. A one year old cousin. What to the hospital earlier. And was kind of contracted COVID or diagnose with COVID as well as our is to be. And he was fighting to breeze while we're. Fighting. With each other around rhetoric. He was one years old and was fighting to breathe. Thank god. That with breathing three minutes he went home yesterday. But we also know that at least two babies two children have died in Arkansas. And I'm very sensitive. Two how one person. And our first diagnosed official diagnosed case started in pine bluff. And to date we've now had in a little over a year's time three hundred and over three hundred and ninety two thousand people. Starting with that one person in pine bluff a little over a year ago. And well over six thousand people who died. So I want to start this. By saying that I don't question anyone's concern for children. I don't even question people's politics we're here from different political perspectives. And from different parts of the state with different beats. What I hope to do is to appeal. To you based on this wonderful process that we have here understanding that I come from a different perspective just as you do but we come here together to share information valid information. And make a decision that's best for the entire state. And when I say that this bill doesn't go far enough. I don't believe that there should be a mandate for mass across the entire state. No matter what the numbers say in a given county or city or school district. I don't think there should be a ban. On any given municipality or county or school district. To do what is best for that school district or county or municipality what we have in effect right now is something that ties the hands of other elected officials to address the needs. Of their local citizens. Now we say. That we value local control. I don't believe that we can agree. To a law that prohibits. Our local leadership from acting. Quickly in the best interest of the citizens of that area. So I take issue with anyone from anywhere outside of Jefferson County or the prime law school district or the Dollaway school district who would say that they know what's best for the people in that area. With that. I will. Want to I'd like to make a couple of points and then I'll be open for any questions. School districts. some of our school districts under state authority that's one point I'd like to make. So a lot of this language in all every bill that we've seen. Only points to the board school board decision making. What about school districts that are understated authority. We don't have school boards. The other point that I'll make. Is that the bill does not adhere to the tenets of local control for municipalities or school districts what other. Entity is more local than a school district. We talked a lot today about mask wearing. Throughout this pandemic and even beforehand I don't know about you all I was one of the folks who was who watch the news in past years or even when I was a kid and seeing people in Asia wearing these masks wondering why are they doing that. Because I never had any experience until this year. Until last year to understand why. And I say that to say this is not a new practice. It is one of the only preventive measures that we can take. To ensure that we might possibly be protecting ourselves. From catching covid. Aside from social distancing. Which by the way and congregate living facilities. And in school environments is near impossible. So understanding that in school environments it would be near impossible to regulate. Social distancing as a method of prophylactic. A measures to address prevention. The only real chance we have of prevention is wearing masks. Not ask you. Why is it that wearing masks. Mandating mass. Is acceptable for a hospital staff. We don't say anything about that nobody over here is fighting. To remove the mass from healthcare workers. We don't say anything about the science. Nurses including nurses in my family. Who may have an issue with these masks say nothing they go to work and they put him on. Short of quarantining. Indefinitely sort of emergency shut down. Mass is the only way that we can prevent. And I'll finally leave you with this. People might say well we have the vaccine now people should be free. To get the vaccine and exercise their choice. Children under twelve don't have a choice. Children under twelve can't get the vaccine. No matter what you don't hear anyone in this room disputing the fact. That a majority of the people who are being affected by this variant which is a mutation that is far more dangerous of the of COVID nineteen virus that many of us have contracted and understood what it feels like. Children under twelve don't have the choice. Our very first job as legislators in this state body in this house is to protect our citizens especially those who are vulnerable. How in the world we can leave this special session without putting something in place to ensure that the only thing we are aware of to date that could protect them and prevent them from contracting this virus but they cannot be protected by with a vaccine. Would be criminal criminal and an application of the duties that we have sworn to uphold. So I ask you I beg of you. To consider that. When you are casting a vote for this bill. In this chamber as members of the committee. And on the floor when prayerfully we will have something to vote on thank you. Thank you for your comments next to speak against the bill Wayne beach you would come for. Please introduce yourself for the record and who you represent. One beach representative myself today. I am representing. All the kids here. And all the parents and the grandparents. Representative Allen. I agree with your point. That every individual should protect themselves. And her several other people say this. That. Why should why should I. My kid up to that what kind of if you look at what's in those when you're trying to protect the patients or those doctors wearing or they weren't overlooked Max or the one is due to. Completely covered with her owner supply. Okay you have these kids during class about. Six seven hours a day. For the rest of the day are they wearing masks resident. Thanks. You can control. Kids that small it's like herding cats. Me to something else. Our constitution the first ten amendments or individual rights. They don't see rights of the group. Their individual rights. Same thing Thomas Hobbes said. He's a famous philosopher it kind of was one of the I'd ideologies that they can't help develop our. Our constitution. He said that every individual. Is responsible for the own choices. He said that every individual is also responsible for the consequences of their choices. He did not say. The group. Is that your your enough for if you will be saved by Jesus you have to make that decision is a personal an individual choice. You preach you can't do it your mom can do it you any day can't do it. This is an individual. An individual choice. I guarantee that the parents that I've talked to. It's the same thing if you haven't been watchin if you have been watching all of something like U. two S. on the YouTube videos of the parents their stamp and from the school boards and demanding that the at least have a boys have been arrested before they can even speak and the school board is doing what they want to you trust a school board. Do you trust the group. Okay so let's call it a Market Street and we are not a democracy folks we are a constitutional Republic. And each individual has those rights your rise with your rights protected rights protected. It doesn't matter what the group wants is what your rights are. Ninety right now because of here to children's hospital they have a bigger problem with or S. B. that he do with the code right now I asked governor yesterday and news conference. So you said you're the head of the governor's association Archant yes. I said what can you tell me with the governor what you're doing. And that socialization is doing. To try to. Mitigate. That open borders down here we we have people coming across the border wide open. They're not vaccinated not checked or anything else Henderson all across the United States and people in those communities don't even know they are in they just show up. You see him here in Arkansas in restaurants between here in Texas and they're stopping off and believe me. You think that virus is going to stop her in Arkansas you six so stop in Texas is subject cross the border. We're not closing the border to. And. You know how do we how long do we. Home page we quarantine people criminalistics ten th ten health ten fourteen days. Stuff is a symptomatic the people there separating down divorce and you look sick leave ordinance line what those people who slept with his word and the chaired and they actually share water bottles with all the way up here. And a showing a an array symptomatic right now. Hi there. But they're not effective. They're not testing folks. I love Julie Mayberry today she's gonna favor favor once. But on this issue. I'm say you you can't control kids you're not will control the wires you can be or in cats. On one say finishes up with someone you consider you're responsible for your own personal choices and your children's choices your family choice. Nobody else can do that for you and what you should have that responsibility. Some people may say. The school board we both demand. To make those choices. Yes Sir. We will remain to make certain choices. Choices of our lives. What choices of our freedoms but choices of our liberties. And retention of. Baros's. Well coming go. Liberties are forever gone if you lose. Do not use. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. next to speak against the bill Jan Morgan. Please include yourself for the record and who you represent. Jan Morgan citizen representing myself. Although I would say that I've traveled over the state about fifteen hundred miles in the past three days. And I've listened to thousands upon thousands of our Kansans on this very issue. I must say that I agree with the doctor who is up here on two things. We are fighting a different kind of fight. And we need to remove the cuffs. But I disagree with him on what the topic of this fight is about it is not about a virus. And I disagree with them about who's being cuffed. Is the citizens of the State. And it is time that we stop mandating the lives of the people of the state let me tell you what I'm hearing around Arkansas. Every single night for the past three nights I have been a keynote Speaker at some very large venues. Last night herein approached me crying with photos of her young daughter. With a serious outbreak all around her face from having to wear a mask and she said that her daughter's pediatrician said the mask Clause this. We can debate the efficacy of mask versus non mass vaccine versus non vaccine but what we cannot debate today. Is the individual right of a parent to decide what is in the best interest of his or her child. Republicans I'm only here because Dallas green you nailed it I don't need to say anymore than that all of the people who spoke some just going to close out with this. This is a Republican controlled state government we shouldn't even be here today having this discussion. Because our party platform is very specific. When you ran as a Republican and the people elected you to represent them as a Republican you ran on this platform and it says that we believe an individual responsibility and initiative and we believe in individual freedom and liberty secured by a limited government. Increasing regulations and mandates on citizens is not limiting government it is growing government that is not what Republicans do that is what Democrats do and Furthermore it is the mantra of the other party excuse me this is my turn you can you can talk about that later it is the mantra of the other party to say that the government is the solution to all of our problems know the government is the problem we need to stop turning to government. To issue more mandates to solve our problems. The other side says. We know better than you what is in the best interest of your child so therefore we need more government regulations more mandates the Republican Party platform says that's not who we are we believe in individual liberty and individual responsibility personal accountability. So Republicans. Please stop regurgitating talking points of the other side of the numbers I'm sorry you need to stay with the bill that we're talking about this I am talking about the bill this bill reason okay this bill is limiting the rights of the individual citizen this bill this bill that we've been talking about today it says to parents. The government or the school board knows better than you what is in the best interest of your child in our children at large right now the citizens of this state every kid and every school can wear a mask if his or her parent wants him or her to wear a mask every teacher is allowed to wear a mask. That's called personal choice. The debate here today shouldn't be about the effectiveness of one of the other the debate here is about whether or not you're going to trample the individual liberty of parents and I will tell you this enclosing. Thousands upon thousands of parents have responded to my social media post about this today. And they have approached me as I've been speaking and listening around the state and here's what you can expect to happen. Parents are gonna pull their kids out of your schools if you for them to if you force them to wear masks again they're going to pull the kids out of our schools why because they're not gonna have jobs because the largest corporations in our state. Are now mandating vaccines as a condition of employment so with all these parents sitting at home now with no jobs. They can home school their kids. And schools depend on numbers so school boards that support this notion of forcing children to wear masks all day. May come back to bite you in the rear. Thank you for your. Lessing the citizens have asked me to make the list today the Republicans that vote in support of this bill and the citizens have said you're not speaking on the bill thank you for your time that is that is speaking on the bill I'm telling with assistance at about the bill if you support this bill they want to list of both Republicans voted for it and. Next we have Randy mess melodies beak like against the bill. Please introduce yourself for the record who represent Mr chairman Randy Mastella university of Arkansas Fayetteville first of all I had to sign up for against the bill really speak on the bill you know you've got the bill in front of you specifically I'd like to point out that on page one you get to line thirty three I guess from Rapert reading glasses on it discusses a representative flowers did public school districts and public school boards I wanted to bring it to the committee's attention because I know you all have a big decision to make on this bill whether you're going to pass or not or is in the General Assembly is going to pass or not but I ask you all only to consider this the University of Arkansas fable along with seven other higher education process and I can list them we operate a child care preschool facility from kids from the ages of eight weeks to five years old we offer academic programs in their child care and right now we have about a hundred twenty six students enrolled in that we have a program like that Arkansas state has one Henderson you a community college moral ten essay you tech you a P. B. a Pulaski tech and UCLA. I just want to bring it to the committee's attention of that we we feel that these facilities should have the protection as well if you all vote this legislation and because their date they do not fall under a school board or school district they were on an RKC would fall under the board of trustees but I'm willing to ask any answer any questions about that I do ask that you will consider adding that. I don't see any questions for you. Mr chairman thank you so much for your time and. I appreciate the all the work you are doing I know you'll have a tough decision to make and we can be on anyway let us know just so you know I mean I understand the school you're talking about and their situation so I understand that thank you for your comments thank you Mr. To speak against the bill Katherine ray. You would please introduce yourself and who you represent. For the record. The button and now you're on I'm doctor Kathleen ray I'm a biomedical engineer of a PhD in biomedical engineering from Tulane University. Currently I do consulting but. In the past I have a I have worked in research science research at UMass at Tulane University at the Swinburne university and and Melbourne Australia. I'm very familiar both with PCR testing and quite familiar with immunology but I'm here today just representing myself and hopefully just to give you. Some facts and just what I've learned over the last few years with the research I've been doing that's related to the subject so I want to start with the I don't know if you guys caught it but. Just this week an oddly on CNN I Biden's top COVID advisor Dr Michael Oster home stated that these are his words. The paper or cloth face coverings that many people are wearing today are not effective in reducing any of the virus movement either in or out. Is present here that on CNN didn't surprise me to hear it The truth is that I. Never believe that mass could work and I started looking back on what I knew about the physics of viruses and the physics of barriers and so I just wanna give you some of that information I think about for yourselves it was determined early in twenty twenty that the size of the sars could be to virus was somewhere between point a to and point to five microns that's a thousands of a meter. A we're as the pores this isn't something I know the pores in in ninety five mask that you can read through our greater than point three microns so the the point being that even within N. ninety five mask the virus is smaller. Then the openings in your mask now there we go back to looking at cloth or paper mask I don't have the exact size of those pores but they're definitely larger than one Senate ninety five mask easier just faxes are not my opinions You know somebody asked me recently will enough masterwork why do surgeons wear them you know keep in mind that surgical masks were developed to prevent the greatest enemy and an operating room which is bacteria and I just want to point out that bacterial size ranges from point four which is larger two three microns are pretty large compared to vote viruses are on the order of a thousand times smaller than bacteria on average so so the point and in fact if you go to Walgreens us some of the boxes of surgical masks that you can buy for yourself at Walgreens say on the box. Does not prevent viral transmission. Because they don't now that's these are just these are just facts M.. Let's just talk about what happens with and you know they're it there are also studies just real quickly there are studies that that looked at this early in twenty twenty because everybody was promoting wearing masks and so several universities decide what this would be a good thing to study and I was able to find a paper published in April of twenty twenty and the. Annals of internal medicine. And the determination of that paper was that neither surgical nor cotton mask effectively filtered sars CoV two you're in Coffs by affected patients basically what they do is they took people who were definitely sick had had symptoms and tested positive for covid they have them comment on a they had Petri dishes that would support viral growth and they had them cough on a bear on a Petri dish they had a cough using a surgical paper mask they had him caught using a cloth mask that you can by now the stores or make yourself and it turned out that the amount of viral load on each of those dishes was the same. So you know there's there's a. Appointed to support the physics of a viral. Viral transmission through barriers. The thing that was alarming to me about the study. Was you know we've been taught that mask or promoted also because of aerosoles right we know it's and it's aerosol and we also the little graphics that were on TV commercials they were on the if Facebook computers of people talking without a mask and here's the aerosol droplets coming out of their masked man here's the mascot in aerosol droplets and are not coming out well in this study that he accidentally found that aerosoles is largest three micrometers much larger we're able to penetrate the mass. Both kinds in fact here's the killer is that then they examine the masks themselves and this was only after just a few minutes of wearing three minutes tops. The contamination of the virus on the outside of the mask was greater than what was on the inside. So Really they don't they don't work very well and and you can look at this statistically as well as you might know Sweden declined to do any mask mandates or any lock downs and of course they were just vilified for that early on Sweden I've looked it up population wise it's the same size as the state of Michigan. So. Currently in Sweden the death rate was of fourteen thousand supposedly death rate from COVID in Michigan it's twenty one thousand and Michigan was one of the states that have the most severe what I would call actually draconian lockdown measures so there's that now the other thing is the second point is that children really are not much at risk of code we've heard we've heard testimony to the contrary a but I just want to say that from the CDC statistics the mortality rate of people under age seventeen is about point zero six and that's of those infected. The infection rate also is similarly small so you're looking at a pretty low risk and as of last may in the United States deaths in this age group tallied up to nine a six of them with underlying conditions that data actually is from that W. H. O.. So I don't believe children are in a great deal of risk from COVID or from the delta very and I'll come back to that my third point is that. I'm really a symptomatic spread is is kind of a myth it is so rare. As to be a mess and it's not been adequately documented there's actually no scientific verification of a symptomatic spread of the virus that means if you're not showing symptoms Now and there's interestingly certainly been no documentation so far of spread of the virus from recovered people so I'm like the seventy five percent of people who got sick and I think it was Princeton yeah misuses yes seventy five percent of those people it turned out were vaccinated not surprising not surprising the vaccine doesn't prevent you from getting the virus a vaccine prevention you hopefully from getting very sick when you come in contact with the virus so it's not surprising that you might come in contact with the virus and you might give it to others if you're vaccinated however there have been no documented cases of anyone. Who got COVID and recovered from it and later gave it to someone else none that I can find. So the fourth quick point I want to make is that I've done a lot of research on whether mask are safe for children there wasn't for study my notes to that are brought to date relate to a study and in Germany was very recent they looked at twenty five thousand nine hundred and thirty children. Among those children sixty eight of them reported breathing problems from having to wear a mask all day in school. they average where of the mask was four and a half hours a day. So sixty eight percent have breathing problems sixty cent of parents agreed with that that there were breathing problems at their children were experiencing they they reported for their the parents reported for their children fifty three percent of them had headaches are twenty percent had episodes of dizziness and more than fifty percent had learning impairment. So it there is some risk I think to asking children to do this every day and these things these things relate to two hyper Nemea hypercapnia I'm sorry. Which is when you have too much reading into much CO two. So it turns out that you know the mass does create I mean you don't wear it like glued to your face there is a little bit of air space in front of the mask and that's just an ideal little capsule for hanging on to the CO two that you're exhaling. And and it's it's just a fact that you're gonna re breed some of that CO two so how much well there are some studies that looked at that Let's see. I'm sorry I'm looking for that number yeah here it is so normally the amount of CO two and a nice big open room like this well and outside an open air is going to be point oh four percent CO two in an enclosed room is usually going to be about point one percent a level that's considered safe is point two percent. All right so there's controlled experimental study that was reported in the journal of American medical association pediatrics recently let's see it was June June of this year. They measured three minutes a continuous measurements for kids young people wearing masks day use the mean age of children was ten point seven as kids aged six to seventeen twenty females twenty five males. What they found was the the average amount of CO two that was inhaled during those three minutes. With the mouth and nose covered was one point three to one point four percent so are already getting above what's comfortable in three minutes. there was so and school children on average in the US where these mass four two hundred and seventy minutes. So it's not surprising that in over twenty five thousand children in Germany. More than sixty percent of them were reporting breathing problems headaches dizziness and an inability to concentrate in school so my point there is that. Masker not healthy and that Florida study where they measured all the different type of bacteria that were found on the mask you know that was a pretty valid study to and then I want. In that up to someone already has. My main point here is that. You're here to represent your constituents. Your voters your voters some of them are parents. And I believe I don't have children myself but if I did I really wouldn't want to school board. Making a decision that I feel would affect my my children's health I think that should be totally left up to parents and along those lines so many of you in here where am asking. That's fine I'm not here to convince you to not wear your mask I'm giving you the facts as I know them and the research that I've found. But you shouldn't be imposing that on other people it's been stated several times that we have a constitution we have individual rights. Impairments are the best people to decide what's best for their children I'm I'm gonna ask you to consider not passing that responsibility on to people who are not the parents of those individual children. I'm happy to answer any questions we do have a question. The representative Johnson you're recognized thank you Mr chair or country left here so at I have found myself intrigued by some your data and at I miss what was your name again I'm sorry Kathleen ray and what's your occupation I'm a biomedical engineer I do consulting right now I have been a research scientist at UAMS at Tulane University. At Swinburne university in Melbourne Australia I've taught I've been a professor at UALR and you see a. Knows you have a lot of notes with like the written down is there any place that all these are compiled together that you can share with us as because this information is the most concise I've heard. I'd be I'd be happy to email you make you make it a little more legible this is kind of this critical so I did it this morning and last night yeah I mean I'd be happy to email you would have presented today and in fact if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help you find answers to those excellent and six and then finally In your in your opinion you seem to be very knowledgeable about this yes yes yes if a child is wearing a mask. and they're exposed to child not wearing a mask are they protected. Well in my opinion your in your mask does not protect you against viruses I'm sorry that's actually not my opinion that's that's the physics of the of the size of viruses versus the size of the poor is in your mask. There's also data supporting that that wearing a mask is not healthy this the CO two Q. accumulation and the the bacterial contamination and and these types of things so. I don't think it buys you anything to wear one but I do think that people. a lot of people don't make decisions on necessarily on data or what I would consider logic people make decisions based on their feelings about things that what feels right for them so I don't deny anybody's right to choose to wear a mask someone wearing a mask versus someone not wearing a mask it it offers no greater protection or less protection but it can give you peace of mind. Right thank you. We do have another question. Representative medley you're recognized for a question thank you I'm appear thank you so much for being here and sharing some good that we're all concerned about our constituents especially our kids so since you've done some research motion that mask on effective can you tell us some things that might be effective for kids that we can share on to help stop the spread this because would really love to see this topic you know that's a tough one Thing is The current data I mean really we're as you probably realize. We're we're pretty much over the hump on the alpha variant on the original variant and and and the truth is that this virus follow the pattern of just about every other virus that's ever been on the planet as far as the infection rate you know that the peak what we did with the shutdowns and the social distancing was we just we moved that peak over of it in and drag it out but the thing that actually happened was it was probably the same number of infections that we're gonna get if we if we done nothing I mean just based on the mathematics of the numbers I've seen. Now how do you protect children will. That the news the data support right now that the delta variant is quite contagious on the level of say chicken pox now I'm sixty one and I don't know how you know you guys I had chicken pox in kindergarten and you may or may not remember it's highly contagious if you're not back to me which we weren't back then and you know in kindergarten one kid got in and went all the way around the room one to the next because it's highly contagious so that's true. The question is is it dangerous. So the the data that we got from day one of went CDC started collecting reporting data to me indicated that there's very very little danger to young people. For even the original highly virulent alpha variant. And the date and now we're seeing is that the Delta variant is less dangerous even to adults this is statistically I'm just looking at the numbers so my feeling is somebody I don't know if it was you but somebody mentioned you know why don't we just let children develop natural immunity and. I'm all for that. I it's more effective in it And let me you know if I if I can talk another minute The questions come up about the vaccine versus national unity text of a. A medical representative here today stated that the vaccine was more effective the natural immunity and personally I think that's incorrect everything I've read everything I know from my studies in immunology and all the research that I've done both prior to this active research and then The reading I've done is that is incorrect once you once you get a virus and you overcome it what is happened in your body is that you have a course developed antibodies. Now people are saying all you know the antibodies are they they are less apparent you know they're less available after a certain amount that will of course they are I mean do you really think that for every single code every single flu chickenpox everything you've ever had in your life that you still have that same high level of antibodies floating around I mean what you what you do have is you have memory T. cells and their job is to recognize when you see that antigenic yet when you see that danger again and then call up and start producing those antibodies the soldiers to go to battle against that virus this is how your immune system works in a very simplified. Asian. So the here's a here's my point if you got the virus and you got over it is a hundred percent chance that you developed antibodies the Bill Gates without enforce that you have these great T. cells which you know they're just waiting to to help you out there. If you got the vaccine the data coming back from the various the three million vaccines the the chances are some where between sixty and ninety percent I'm gonna say eighty five percent. That you have antibodies because as we know there's no vaccines are not perfect. Your body that fight off the virus that's a hundred percent your vaccines not a hundred percent that's that's one thing the second thing is as I just stated the job of the vaccine is to keep you from getting really sick it is not a magic bullet to keep you from not getting the virus that's not how they work. Depending on your immune system depending on how well your vaccine is working depending on your general health whether you've got risk factors lots of lots of things in there that's all gonna depend that's all going to affect. Hello how will you overcome the virus even if you're vaccinated so saying that vaccination is is a better tool than natural immunity I completely disagree with that. Ninety one real fast follow up chairman real quick we've got other questions so just would you say that we really might have done our children a disservice last year when we mast everyone we didn't allow in quarantine everybody it didn't allow them to get some natural immunity to the room and in the in hindsight eleven better just to allow our children to get natural means and so they would have more protection this year against the delta very okay so I just wanna be clear you're asking my opinion state are on your own and you my opinion my opinion is yes thank you. Representative Pilkington you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman you made the claim that there's no studies that show that there's a symptomatic spread of the COVID nineteen. That's actually not true hi Jammeh has is that a the university of Chicago medicine as a study I mean there there there's multiple ones out there so I don't that wasn't actually upset I think I may have misspoke I didn't mean to say that there were no studies showing it I said it's so rare. As to be a math if you if you look at the studies and you Believe it you know I feel very certain about that study I mean you know depending on methods. and then you look at the overall picture it's extremely rare. Well then you in another claim to that you can think masks were effective but no one is claiming that a mass is a hundred percent effective I mean obviously the larger droplets that Kerry covid DO get stopped by the master microns or larger so I mean you've you've made two statements I think that. President mask is being completely useless which is not true and and I'm worried because there's so much misinformation about COVID that you what we're muddying the waters here let me write that way let me let me clarify that yeah so mass do you stop the aerosol droplets all the in the one study I saw they did see the pretty larger assault still coming through. But. There is sought so droplets drops of water we'll call it water are held together by surface tension you can picture raindrop all together once that raindrop hits the hood of your car and Service tension is destroyed you know it's not in in anything that was contained in that drop let. Before it hit a surface. Is no longer contained. So say you had you know a hundred little very on virus particles in a droplet of your spirit or your respiration. And then that drop hit the inside of your mask is no longer a drop let if it were the inside of your mask would. Fill up with profits of water which we know does it happen. So whatever was in that drive but is no longer in that drop let it's on the surface of your mask and because your mask has poured Senate that you're breathing through and those pores are larger. Then the virus the virus can easily go on through your mask effect you can breed it into your mask from other people. Is that does that help. Okay. Representative Ferguson you're recognized for a question a I'm like representative pending and there's been so much misinformation presented by you I don't even know where to begin are you aware that the jam article that you quoted about carbon dioxide was retracted. Yes I'm aware of that and to his point it's it's not about the virus size it's about the particle size I mean. It is just particles of what the the droplet size not the virus might come right and I just explained I but you just I mean it's just some instance misinformation I don't even know where to begin. I'm sorry you feel that way. One very interesting what you said about mask in the size of the mask speaking as someone who's mandated masking industrial setting. The mask has to be designed and designed for the chemical or whatever and again I'm talking about chemistry and not medicals on anything about viruses but I know if you're protecting someone against. chlorine or whatever you know the size of that molecular. chemical and your mask has to be size to stop that size of a molecule. Right so I I understand that in. If the mask is not designed for the particular. Element that you're trying to stop that is in effect. That's what you're saying yes and if you do not train the personal how to use that mask and fit that mask. It is ineffective and it gives you false confidence that you're protected from something when you're not. I would so I think that's what you're trying to say and and I appreciate the science of that course here we're not dealing with size we're dealing with kids which is absent in the spectrum. But but appreciate your input on that thank you I do have another question. Representative Alan you're recognized thank you Mr chairman thank you doctor for being here I want to know how many child bills makes her immunity wharfage. I'm not here to to make policy I'm just presenting data and facts science facts. But but in that data to in this part of data I'm sorry I can't understand you could you repeat that is a death part of data. Yes Sir but I is not up to me to decide what what the risk should be I feel that it's up to each parent to decide how they want to best protect their children. Well I've if I recall you expressed an opinion a few minutes ago so can you give us an opinion on this my opinion is that natural immunity is is a safer method and if I had children that's what I would choose I can't choose for your children that's what I would choose from mine. Thank you. All right seeing no more questions thank you for your comments thank you. Me. A representative Mayberry are you ready to close for your bill if you if you would could you bring up the doctor that was with you when you presented we have a question for our before you close. President Eubanks would you rang in. Representa Eubanks you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair Dr I can't recall your name but I disagree on how to be on the I am totally confused because like so everybody has a position on this I've heard I've talked to doctors I've talked to pharmacists individuals we just heard testimony from my metrical engineer who had some very convincing. Arguments to make up. Can you. Reviewed or answer any of the things that that that she stated there. So I can say that the article talking about that the hi a CO two levels and children was redacted be due to concerns based off of the the the study process itself I'm AT ACT let the actual letter for what was redacted so that so. There's no evidence that that having that children are getting high enough levels of CO two from wearing a mask that is causing any sort of damage. Period all right so if you in an experimental lab setting can you make it to where and Senate viral particles flow through mass yes in the real world what we are seeing and there are several studies that that show this and I'm happy to send them to you at first I mean one of the first big studies that we saw was as far as containing the virus and from this person of the source there is couple hairdressers and seven somewhere in Missouri they wore masks they cut over like sixty people's hair and during times they would be considered infectious none of their clients contracted covid and if you are a woman get your hair cut you're there for a while usually so that's one huge piece of evidence that source control works secondly there was when the USS sorry U. S. S. Theodore and was having its outbreak they instituted masking and their rates fell. So there and I have plenty more time one step said and to share with you about all of this but. The actual like on the ground evidence I can even say within the hospitals that I work in we have had very little transmission of covid in the hospitals one master being used you would think that if you have a whole bunch of people who live in the community and then come into one building and are working around each other that we ought to be a huge hot spot and I was actually a big concerns the beginning that's why we struck down elective surgeries we tell people not to come to the hospital very in the very beginning. We started letting parents back we started letting visitors come in and everything we're not seeing everybody's wearing a mask we're not seeing spikes in cases transmission from those people we're just not seeing it and so the one the one thing that we have seen yes there were some cases there been a few spikes and they were early on in the fall at center back in November and December when we're seeing spikes of code cases in kids but when you compare our respiratory viral season so all the other viruses aside from Kobe your R. S. V. your influence at all that stuff our hospitals were dead as far as pediatric patients there are no patients being admitted I've worked on Christmas day and I had three patients in the hospital and that was it that's unheard of and in the winter season of pediatrics then as soon as the mass mandate kind of relaxed back in April and may. We are admitting kids with respiratory distress you not only have their kids are covered but then there's also his or pasta for three or four viruses and we're seeing them there possible peer influence adenovirus an RSV is telling him or her magical cocktail of. First is that these kids are being admitted for I mean I'm telling you in the real world that we are seeing that mass work and I can give you scientific studies that have not been rejected that show that they work. Follow up Mr yes you're recognized have you had to treat any person. For wearing a mask that as a result of wearing a mask other than a little bit mask acne that's treatable and not life threatening that's the only condition I've had to treat somebody for for wearing a mask but nothing that is life threatening and require hospitalization. Thank you Mr. Thank you thank you for those comments a representative may be are you ready to close for your bill. I just want to say one final thing that I understand as a parent I can tell my children who were in high school I want you to wear masks and school as a matter of fact this came up at dinner time recently my kids said mom are you gonna make us wear a mask I said and this was a few weeks ago and I said well cases continue to increase and you know probably yes I'm I'm gonna make you wear a mask. And they have no problem wearing a mask it is not a big deal eight not a big deal to them at all. But they said if no one else in the classroom is wearing that mask it's going to be really hard to where it. I imagine the peer pressure that's in that classroom. I understand parents should have the right to tell their child what to do and not to but the peer pressure going on in those classrooms will stop some kids from putting it on. It almost stopped me the other day when we had a meeting of legislators. I had to sit there and think about it I'm walking into a room I'm probably the only one walking into that room wearing a mask. And I actually. Considered. Wow this is a hard thing to do and it should be. But it was and I did it because I know in my situation it it was the right thing to do with the time but it certainly makes it easier when other people's or other people are joining you. I'm I'm open to ideas. You know this committee knows I brought another problem to you. That seems like it was an impossible task saw. Everybody had a different opinion I'm willing to work on this take feedback. I don't know what this committee once but I would love the opportunity to work on some amendments based on feedback and come back with come back with something that might satisfy a few more people. Are you closed I'm closed. What's will of committee. Was the will of committee. I have a motion do pass as our second. So no Sir you're right represent them all right motion is. Do pass any discussion on the motion Representive Eubanks you're recognized. You Mr I I don't think. This bill is gonna pass I have some personal issues with it but given the fact that this is the only thing that I have in front of me I I I really am conflict it I've heard a lot of people testifying today about the. Personal freedom and. That the parents are the best individuals to make the decisions for their children. I serve on across the board for an up for those that don't know what that is that's court court appointed special advocates and under Ford unfortunately I've learned too much about the people in my communities and the decisions that they don't make for their children. They don't feed them they don't close them they don't pay them. Too often they abuse them physically sexually emotionally. And and and more of that has been pushed off on the schools to try to fix we have backpack programs we have everything that and I've served on the school board so I know the kids in the number of kids that are coming to school and they don't have the the proper supervision of a responsible parents or adults in their lives to take care of them and unfortunately the schools are being forced to make those decisions for them and try to make The best decisions for them so I'm not too impressed with the people that are making the argument that the the adult for the best persons to make those decisions because I see way too many of them that are are doing that I do not like I said I do not like many aspects of this bill but the. And and and right at the moment I don't know how motorboat. But I don't want to be responsible for a child being hospitalized or potentially dying I had two grandchildren that were in the school district last year and kindergartener in preschool. They didn't have an issue wearing the mask. Of course my daughter is responsible individual and had several of them and they as they brought home one they wash that one and they had him hanging up and so they had to do in each day. But I suspect she's probably the exception so of. I talked to many medical people that say the mass mitigates the spread of the disease. And I don't know anybody that's been hospitalized or treated because they've had to wear a mask so. Thank you Mr. Any other discussion. Pilkington you're recognized thank you Mr chairman the representative Eubanks I appreciate your comments on this I think that's very well put. No I don't necessarily like this bill either we had a very Frank conversation the other day There's things I like. You know I think I told you my fear is whether we master we don't mask I still think sending kids to school right now when we're in the most ramp it up tick in the delta variant is a bad idea I'd rather push it back I think that the way better it's a way to make sure that our health resources don't get stretched too thin which were already told by every hospital measure in the state that they're getting stretched too thin. I think appliances an issue and this doesn't address that I'm I'm not Davis builders I just I think there's too many issues that need to get worked out and like I said I think we can pass this and run it and if we passed this and the kids go to school I still think we're gonna have outbreaks and we're gonna say well should a more we should a more and and that you know there's a certain amount of risk of code that we have to live with and code is very real we should be getting the vaccines you know we tried all the senses in the world to get the vaccine it was like the vaccine and yet the biggest Day was the other day with no incentives out there and which one percent of the whole state of Arkansas when I get vaccinated I like to trust the people of Arkansas to do the right thing and I think we should give them time to make the right decisions but that's just that's my opinion and and I'll be voting no on this because I don't think that's the right answer at this moment thank you. The Ferguson. Yes I am sort of hearing the same thing for everybody at their also you know I certainly maybe would like to say the sixty days reduced to thirty and maybe the fifty cases per ten thousand reduced a little bit to allow a quicker response I guess maybe at this point is that allowed would you be able to pull the bill down and let us do have a few amendments that might get people where they need to be I hate to defeat the bill which sounds like what might happen. I I would be happy to do that I would be happy to pull it down get this feedback you all talk to me I am more than willing to hear what you have to say representative Mayberry I think. The questions that have been raised in the suggestions that been given to you and you're willing to look at those it might be in your best interest to pull the bill down and we can bring it back that's up to you. With. She can pull it down. You can only you have to retract the motion yes thank. Sorry. The person who made the motion has to retract the most. Let me get you on your Mr right direction now. Okay you're recognized represent them I'm before I do that I like them to say something yesterday we had some twenty seven basically daycare centers to close. Does the euro closures represent over eighteen hundred cheered and they can not going to take care. Today because of their they were exposes someone we cope with that also translates to parents that could not go to work. Today because they didn't have back up options. I strongly suggest that we. Take a look at this. And try to come up with. Something that's workable for everybody involved. So with that I would like to withdraw my motion. Thank you representative shall that's a valid request. So his motions been withdrawn so you can work on the bill and bring it back I'd be happy to do so thank you members this is an important conversation and I appreciate you spending three four hours whatever it is listening to it today thank you. All right thank you a committee that's the last thing on the