GOP Arkansas gov. regrets signing law banning mask mandates [View all]

Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday he regrets signing a law in April banning local mask mandates, as COVID-19 cases quickly rise in his state.

"Well, I signed it at the time because our cases were at a very low point. I knew that it would be overridden by the legislature if I didn't sign it," Hutchison explained in a news conference.

"And I was not supportive of - I had already eliminated our statewide mask mandate."

Hutchison's remarks come as new Covid-19 cases in the state - now mostly of Delta variant - have soared from around 200 daily in March through June, to 2,343 yesterday.

"Everything has changed now. And yes, in hindsight, I wish that had not become law, but it is the law," the governor noted.

At: https://news.yahoo.com/video/gop-arkansas-gov-regrets-signing-133313555.html

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson with a chart displaying COVID-19 hospitalization data at a news conference in Little Rock yesterday.

The Republican governor said Tuesday he now regrets signing a law in April banning local mask mandates.