LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ governor has signed into law a measure creating a $173 million fund to combat the coronavirus and to address a budget shortfall the state faces because of the outbreak.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the legislation early Saturday moving the state’s surplus into the newly created “COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund.” The governor can access the fund with the approval of legislative leaders. Hutchinson signed the legislation shortly after the House and Senate approved the legislation in a midnight meeting.
The votes cap a special session Hutchinson called in response to a $353 million shortfall he said the state faced because of the coronavirus.
Arkansas has had at least 386 cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and three deaths.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Concerns about the coronavirus moved the House from its chamber in the Capitol to a basketball arena, with representatives spaced at least 6 feet from one another in the stands. The Senate met at the Capitol, but restricted the number of members allowed on the floor.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI