Arkansas lawmakers send governor bill creating COVID-19 fund

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers sent the governor legislation early Saturday morning creating a $173 million fund to combat the coronavirus and to address a budget shortfall projected because of the outbreak.

The House and Senate unanimously gave final passage to identical bills moving the state’s surplus into the “COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund,” which the governor could access with the approval of legislative leaders. Gov. Asa Hutchinson planned to sign the legislation shortly after the vote.

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 (1.8 meters) from one another in the stands. The Senate met at the Capitol, but restricted the number of members allowed on the floor.