Educators in McGehee have expressed disappointment with a member of the Arkansas Senate over his decision not to support a call to amend the state’s face mask mandate ban.
According to the McGehee Dermott Times-News, Jeff Owyoung, president of the McGehee School Board, and District Superintendent Linda Tullos have made a formal request to Senator Ben Gilmore to support the request of Governor Asa Hutchinson to amend the ban.
The governor is asking that the legislation be amended to allow school districts flexibility to protect children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for a vaccine.
Gilmore issued a public statement with State Representative Howard Beaty saying they would not support amending the ban and saying it should be a “personal decision.”
Owyoung replied to the statement saying in part Gilmore should listen to doctors who are treating the increase in COVID-19 patients because of the delta variant.
“They are the experts,” Owyoung said. “Why would you not want to do the right thing by allowing local school boards to make the decision?”
