Arkansas lawmakers advance bills barring covid-19 vaccination mandates

A bill intended to extend a ban on covid-19 vaccine mandates for public entities ranging from schools to state agencies sailed through the Arkansas Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, passed with a vote of 27-3 and moves to the House for further action. Bryant has said the bill is needed to reinstate a mandate ban originally included in Act 977 of 2021, which he said expired in August. Under SB 3, state and local government officials would be barred from mandating or requiring...