Senate Gets Another Chance to Help Workers

The Arkansas House of Representatives passed HB1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant which says a worker with natural immunity to COVID-19 is exempt from vaccine mandates. The House passed the bill with 68 votes which is enough to pass the bill’s emergency clause. Passage of an emergency clause by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate is necessary to let the bill become effective immediately upon passage and approval.

The Senate passed an identical bill, SB739, but the bill did not receive enough votes to also pass the emergency clause. Without passage of the emergency clause, the Senate bill will not help anyone who is subject to a vaccine mandate having a deadline this year.

HB1977 will be heard by the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee at 8:00AM on Wednesday, October 6. If it gets a “do pass” recommendation by the committee it will then go to the Senate floor for a vote.

So, the stage is set. The Senate gets one more chance to help workers with natural immunity who are facing a vaccine mandate this year. To do so HB1977 must pass the Senate with at least 24 votes. On a second try the identical Senate bill received only 23 votes.

To be in time, your Senator must hear from you before the full Senate votes on HB1977 which will likely be tomorrow, Wednesday, October 8th.

As mentioned, HB1977 will be heard by the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee at 8:00AM on Wednesday.

CALL TO ACTION! Listed are the Senate Committee Members… Contact each member and urge them to PASS HB1977!

Cecile Bledsoe, Scott Flippo, Breanne Davis, Ben Gilmore, Kim Hammer, Bart Hester, Dan Sullivan, David Wallace Cecile.Bledsoe@senate.ar.gov, Scott.Flippo@senate.ar.gov, breanne.davis@senate.ar.gov, ben.gilmore@senate.ar.gov, kim.hammer@senate.ar.gov, bart.hester@senate.ar.gov, dan.sullivan@senate.ar.gov, David.Wallace@senate.ar.gov

479-636-2115, 870-421-3420, 479-970-0081, 501-467-5952, 501-840-3841, 479-531-4176, 870-919-8046

Reach out to these Senators in particular, we will need their vote. Tell them to fight for medical and health freedom and that you are watching their votes and they will be held accountable.

Contact your personal State Senator and State Representative as well as Speaker Representative Matt Shepherd and Senate Pro temp Senator Jimmy Hickey. Here is how.