COVID Information & Arkansas

On August 6, the State Senate voted to adjourn which prohibited an opportunity for any bills related to Employer Vaccine Mandates from being heard.  Later that day, Judge Tim Fox of the Pulaski County Circuit Court ruled that Act 1002 cannot be enforced because it discriminates between public and private schools, it undermines the authority of local governments, and infringes on the Governor's Executive Powers.

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On August 13, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge released a statement regarding an appeal of Judge Tim Fox’s decision blocking Act 1002, the state law barring public entities from mandating face masks. “I will appeal the decision of Judge Fox which blocked Act 1002 from going into effect. For nearly seven years, I have always exercised my constitutional duty to represent the State of Arkansas and will continue to wholeheartedly defend state laws to protect Arkansans of all ages.”

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At this time, Mercy, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, and others have announced their intentions to terminate employment of staff that do not take the COVID vaccine by a specific date. This could prove to be economically devastating to the Benton & Washington County region. The only remedy at this point for employees of these two companies will be to complete paperwork for either a Religious or Medical Exemption.

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A Medical Exemption request will need to furnished in cooperation with your physician, giving a specific medical reason why you are not a good candidate for the vaccine.

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A Religious Exemption request is a simple statement whereby an employee must notify their employer that they identify with a specific religion that objects to this or all vaccines and why.  Typically, employers will not require a letter from your pastor.  But the employer may ask you some additional questions about your religion before taking any action.

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The Liberty Counsel has a sample letter for a religious exemption request, which is attached to this page for your convenience.