Month: May 2021

A group of 57 leading scientists, doctors and policy experts has released a report calling in to question the safety and efficacy of the current COVID-19 vaccines and are now calling for an immediate end to all vaccine programs. We urge you to read and share this damning report.

There are two certainties regarding the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. The first is that governments and the vast majority of the mainstream media are pushing with all their might to get these experimental drugs into as many people as possible. The second is that those who are willing to face the scorn that comes with asking serious questions about vaccines are critical players in our ongoing effort to spread the truth.

You can read an advanced copy of this manuscript in preprint below. It has been prepared by nearly five dozen highly respected doctors, scientists, and public policy experts from across the globe to be urgently sent to world leaders as well as all who are associated with the production and distribution of the various Covid-19 vaccines in circulation today.

There are still far too many unanswered questions regarding the Covid-19 vaccines’ safety, efficacy, and necessity. This study is a bombshell that should be heard by everyone, regardless of their views on vaccines. There aren’t nearly enough citizens who are asking questions. Most people simply follow the orders of world governments, as if they have earned our complete trust. They haven’t done so. This manuscript is a step forward in terms of accountability and the free flow of information on this crucial subject. Please take the time to read it and share it widely.

SARS-CoV-2 mass vaccination: Urgent questions on vaccine safety that demand answers from international health agencies, regulatory authorities, governments and vaccine developers

Roxana Bruno¹, Peter McCullough², Teresa Forcades i Vila³, Alexandra Henrion-Caude⁴, Teresa García-Gasca⁵, Galina P. Zaitzeva⁶, Sally Priester⁷, María J. Martínez Albarracín⁸, Alejandro Sousa-Escandon⁹, Fernando López Mirones¹⁰, Bartomeu Payeras Cifre¹¹, Almudena Zaragoza Velilla¹⁰, Leopoldo M. Borini¹, Mario Mas¹, Ramiro Salazar¹, Edgardo Schinder¹, Eduardo A Yahbes¹, Marcela Witt¹, Mariana Salmeron¹, Patricia Fernández¹, Miriam M. Marchesini¹, Alberto J. Kajihara¹, Marisol V. de la Riva¹, Patricia J. Chimeno¹, Paola A. Grellet¹, Matelda Lisdero¹, Pamela Mas¹, Abelardo J. Gatica Baudo¹², Elisabeth Retamoza¹², Oscar Botta¹³, Chinda C. Brandolino¹³, Javier Sciuto¹⁴, Mario Cabrera Avivar¹⁴, Mauricio Castillo¹⁵, Patricio Villarroel¹⁵, Emilia P. Poblete Rojas¹⁵, Bárbara Aguayo¹⁵, Dan I. Macías Flores¹⁵, Jose V. Rossell¹⁶, Julio C. Sarmiento¹⁷, Victor Andrade-Sotomayor¹⁷, Wilfredo R. Stokes Baltazar¹⁸, Virna Cedeño Escobar¹⁹, Ulises Arrúa²⁰, Atilio Farina del Río²¹, Tatiana Campos Esquivel²², Patricia Callisperis²³, María Eugenia Barrientos²⁴, Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse⁵,*

¹Epidemiólogos Argentinos Metadisciplinarios. República Argentina.
²Baylor University Medical Center. Dallas, Texas, USA.
³Monestir de Sant Benet de Montserrat, Montserrat, Spain
⁴INSERM U781 Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Cité, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.
⁵School of Natural Sciences. Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico.
⁶Retired Professor of Medical Immunology. Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
⁷Médicos por la Verdad Puerto Rico. Ashford Medical Center. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
⁸Retired Professor of Clinical Diagnostic Processes. University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
⁹Urologist Hospital Comarcal de Monforte, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
¹⁰Biólogos por la Verdad, Spain.
¹¹Retired Biologist. University of Barcelona. Specialized in Microbiology. Barcelona, Spain.
¹²Center for Integrative Medicine MICAEL (Medicina Integrativa Centro Antroposófico Educando en Libertad). Mendoza, República Argentina.
¹³Médicos por la Verdad Argentina. República Argentina. ´
¹⁴Médicos por la Verdad Uruguay. República Oriental del Uruguay.
¹⁵Médicos por la Libertad Chile. República de Chile.
¹⁶Physician, orthopedic specialist. República de Chile.
¹⁷Médicos por la Verdad Perú. República del Perú.
¹⁸Médicos por la Verdad Guatemala. República de Guatemala.
¹⁹Concepto Azul S.A. Ecuador.
²⁰Médicos por la Verdad Brasil. Brasil.
²¹Médicos por la Verdad Paraguay.
²²Médicos por la Costa Rica.
²³Médicos por la Verdad Bolivia.
²⁴Médicos por la Verdad El Salvador.
* Correspondence: Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse, karina.acevedo.whitehouse@uaq.mx

Abstract

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, the race for testing new platforms designed to confer immunity against SARS-CoV-2, has been rampant and unprecedented, leading to emergency authorization of various vaccines. Despite progress on early multidrug therapy for COVID-19 patients, the current mandate is to immunize the world population as quickly as possible. The lack of thorough testing in animals prior to clinical trials, and authorization based on safety data generated during trials that lasted less than 3.5 months, raise questions regarding the safety of these vaccines. The recently identified role of SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein Spike for inducing endothelial damage characteristic of COVID-19, even in absence of infection, is extremely relevant given that most of the authorized vaccines induce the production of Spike glycoprotein in the recipients. Given the high rate of occurrence of adverse effects, and the wide range of types of adverse effects that have been reported to date, as well as the potential for vaccine-driven disease enhancement, Th2-immunopathology, autoimmunity, and immune evasion, there is a need for a better understanding of the benefits and risks of mass vaccination, particularly in the groups that were excluded in the clinical trials. Despite calls for caution, the risks of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination have been minimized or ignored by health organizations and government authorities. We appeal to the need for a pluralistic dialogue in the context of health policies, emphasizing critical questions that require urgent answers if we wish to avoid a global erosion of public confidence in science and public health.

Introduction

Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, over 150 million cases and 3 million deaths have been reported worldwide. Despite progress on early ambulatory, multidrug-therapy for high-risk patients, resulting in 85% reductions in COVID-19 hospitalization and death [1], the current paradigm for control is mass-vaccination. While we recognize the effort involved in development, production and emergency authorization of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, we are concerned that risks have been minimized or ignored by health organizations and government authorities, despite calls for caution [2-8].

Vaccines for other coronaviruses have never been approved for humans, and data generated in the development of coronavirus vaccines designed to elicit neutralizing antibodies show that they may worsen COVID-19 disease via antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and Th2 immunopathology, regardless of the vaccine platform and delivery method [9-11]. Vaccine-driven disease enhancement in animals vaccinated against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is known to occur following viral challenge, and has been attributed to immune complexes and Fc-mediated viral capture by macrophages, which augment T-cell activation and inflammation [11-13].

In March 2020, vaccine immunologists and coronavirus experts assessed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine risks based on SARS-CoV-vaccine trials in animal models. The expert group concluded that ADE and immunopathology were a real concern, but stated that their risk was insufficient to delay clinical trials, although continued monitoring would be necessary [14]. While there is no clear evidence of the occurrence of ADE and vaccine-related immunopathology in volunteers immunized with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines [15], safety trials to date have not specifically addressed these serious adverse effects (SAE). Given that the follow-up of volunteers did not exceed 2-3.5 months after the second dose [16-19], it is unlikely such SAE would have been observed. Despite92 errors in reporting, it cannot be ignored that even accounting for the number of vaccines administered, according to the US Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS), the number of deaths per million vaccine doses administered has increased more than 10-fold. We believe there is an urgent need for open scientific dialogue on vaccine safety in the context of large-scale immunization. In this paper, we describe some of the risks of mass vaccination in the context of phase 3 trial exclusion criteria and discuss the SAE reported in national and regional adverse effect registration systems. We highlight unanswered questions and draw attention to the need for a more cautious approach to mass vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 phase 3 trial exclusion criteria

With few exceptions, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials excluded the elderly [16-19], making it impossible to identify the occurrence of post-vaccination eosinophilia and enhanced inflammation in elderly people. Studies of SARS-CoV vaccines showed that immunized elderly mice were at particularly high risk of life-threatening Th2 immunopathology [9,20]. Despite this evidence and the extremely limited data on safety and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the elderly, mass-vaccination campaigns have focused on this age group from the start. Most trials also excluded pregnant and lactating volunteers, as well as those with chronic and serious conditions such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C, autoimmunity, coagulopathies, cancer, and immune suppression [16-29], although these recipients are now being offered the vaccine under the premise of safety.

Another criterion for exclusion from nearly all trials was prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2. This is unfortunate as it denied the opportunity of obtaining extremely relevant information concerning post-vaccination ADE in people that already have anti-SARS-Cov-2 antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, ADE is not being monitored systematically for any age or medical condition group currently being administered the vaccine. Moreover, despite a substantial proportion of the population already having antibodies [21], tests to determine SARS-CoV-2-antibody status prior to administration of the vaccine are not conducted routinely.

Will serious adverse effects from the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines go unnoticed?

COVID-19 encompasses a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from very mild to severe pulmonary pathology and fatal multi-organ disease with inflammatory, cardiovascular, and blood coagulation dysregulation [22-24]. In this sense, cases of vaccine-related ADE or immunopathology would be clinically-indistinguishable from severe COVID-19 [25]. Furthermore, even in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, Spike glycoprotein alone causes endothelial damage and hypertension in vitro and in vivo in Syrian hamsters by down-regulating angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and impairing mitochondrial function [26]. Although these findings need to be confirmed in humans, the implications of this finding are staggering, as all vaccines authorized for emergency use are based on the delivery or induction of Spike glycoprotein synthesis. In the case of mRNA vaccines and adenovirus-vectorized vaccines, not a single study has examined the duration of Spike production in humans following vaccination. Under the cautionary principle, it is parsimonious to consider vaccine-induced Spike synthesis could cause clinical signs of severe COVID-19, and erroneously be counted as new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections. If so, the true adverse effects of the current global vaccination strategy may never be recognized unless studies specifically examine this question. There is already non-causal evidence of temporary or sustained increases138 in COVID-19 deaths following vaccination in some countries (Fig. 1) and in light of Spike’s pathogenicity, these deaths must be studied in depth to determine whether they are related to vaccination.

Unanticipated adverse reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

Another critical issue to consider given the global scale of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is autoimmunity. SARS-CoV-2 has numerous immunogenic proteins, and all but one of its immunogenic epitopes have similarities to human proteins [27]. These may act as a source of antigens, leading to autoimmunity [28]. While it is true that the same effects could be observed during natural infection with SARS-CoV-2, vaccination is intended for most of the world population, while it is estimated that only 10% of the world population has been infected by SARS-CoV-2, according to Dr. Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at the World Health Organization. We have been unable to find evidence that any of the currently authorized vaccines screened and excluded homologous immunogenic epitopes to avoid potential autoimmunity due to pathogenic priming.

Some adverse reactions, including blood-clotting disorders, have already been reported in healthy and young vaccinated people. These cases led to the suspension or cancellation of the use of adenoviral vectorized ChAdOx1-nCov-19 and Janssen vaccinesin some countries. It has now been proposed that vaccination with ChAdOx1-nCov-19 can result in immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) mediated by platelet-activating antibodies against Platelet factor-4, which clinically mimics autoimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia [29]. Unfortunately, the risk was overlooked when authorizing these vaccines, although adenovirus-induced thrombocytopenia has been known for more than a decade, and has been a consistent event with adenoviral vectors [30]. The risk of VITT would presumably be higher in those already at risk of blood clots, including women who use oral contraceptives [31], making it imperative for clinicians to advise their patients accordingly.

At the population level, there could also be vaccine-related impacts. SARS-CoV-2 is a fast-evolving RNA virus that has so far produced more than 40,000 variants [32,33] some of which affect the antigenic domain of Spike glycoprotein [34,35]. Given the high mutation rates, vaccine-induced synthesis of high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2-Spike antibodies could theoretically lead to suboptimal responses against subsequent infections by other variants in vaccinated individuals [36], a phenomenon known as “original antigenic sin” [37] or antigenic priming [38]. It is unknown to what extent mutations that affect SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity will become fixed during viral evolution [39], but vaccines could plausibly act as selective forces driving variants with higher infectivity or transmissibility. Considering the high similarity between known SARS-CoV-2 variants, this scenario is unlikely [32,34] but if future variants were to differ more in key epitopes, the global vaccination strategy might have helped shape an even more dangerous virus. This risk has recently been brought to the attention of the WHO as an open letter [40].

Discussion

The risks outlined here are a major obstacle to continuing global SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Evidence on the safety of all SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is needed before exposing more people to the184 risk of these experiments, since releasing a candidate vaccine without time to fully understand the resulting impact on health could lead to an exacerbation of the current global crisis [41]. Risk-stratification of vaccine recipients is essential. According to the UK government, people below 60 years of age have an extremely low risk of dying from COVID-191 187 . However, according to Eudravigillance, most of the serious adverse effects following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination occur in people aged 18-64. Of particular concern is the planned vaccination schedule for children aged 6 years and older in the United States and the UK. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently anticipated that teenagers across the country will be vaccinated in the autumn and younger children in early 2022, and the UK is awaiting trial results to commence vaccination of 11 million children under 18. There is a lack of scientific justification for subjecting healthy children to experimental vaccines, given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that they have a 99.997% survival rate if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Not only is COVID-19 irrelevant as a threat to this age group, but there is no reliable evidence to support vaccine efficacy or effectiveness in this population or to rule out harmful side effects of these experimental vaccines. In this sense, when physicians advise patients on the elective administration of COVID-19 vaccination, there is a great need to better understand the benefits and risk of administration, particularly in understudied groups.

In conclusion, in the context of the rushed emergency-use-authorization of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and the current gaps in our understanding of their safety, the following questions must be raised:

• Is it known whether cross-reactive antibodies from previous coronavirus infections or vaccine206 induced antibodies may influence the risk of unintended pathogenesis following vaccination with COVID-19?
• Has the specific risk of ADE, immunopathology, autoimmunity, and serious adverse reactions been clearly disclosed to vaccine recipients to meet the medical ethics standard of patient understanding for informed consent? If not, what are the reasons, and how could it be implemented?
• What is the rationale for administering the vaccine to every individual when the risk of dying from COVID-19 is not equal across age groups and clinical conditions and when the phase 3 trials excluded the elderly, children and frequent specific conditions?
• What are the legal rights of patients if they are harmed by a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine? Who will cover the costs of medical treatment? If claims were to be settled with public money, has the public been made aware that the vaccine manufacturers have been granted immunity, and their responsibility to compensate those harmed by the vaccine has been transferred to the tax-payers?

In the context of these concerns, we propose halting mass-vaccination and opening an urgent pluralistic, critical, and scientifically-based dialogue on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among scientists, medical doctors, international health agencies, regulatory authorities, governments, and vaccine developers. This is the only way to bridge the current gap between scientific evidence and public health policy regarding the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We are convinced that humanity deserves a deeper understanding of the risks than what is currently touted as the official position. An open scientific dialogue is urgent and indispensable to avoid erosion of public confidence in science and public health and to ensure that the WHO and national health authorities protect the interests of humanity during the current pandemic. Returning public health policy to evidence-based medicine, relying on a careful evaluation of the relevant scientific research, is urgent. It is imperative to follow the science.

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-reported-sars-cov-2-deaths-in-england/covid-19-confirmed-deaths-in-england-report

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Figure legends

Figure 1. Number of new COVID-19 deaths in relation to number of people that have received at least one vaccine dose for selected countries. Graph shows data from the start of vaccination to May 3rd 365 , 2021. A) India (9.25% of population vaccinated), B) Thailand (1.58% of population vaccinated), C) Colombia (6.79% of population vaccinated), D) Mongolia (31.65% of population vaccinated), E) Israel (62.47% of population vaccinated), F) Entire world (7.81% of population vaccinated). Graphs were built using data from Our World in Data (accessed 4 May 2021) https://github.com/owid/covid-19-data/tree/master/public/data/vaccinations

Article Source: https://en-volve.com/2021/05/08/57-top-scientists-and-doctors-release-shocking-study-on-covid-vaccines-and-demand-immediate-stop-to-all-vaccinations/?fbclid=IwAR0xcT1Tr8AWMIrpVwxCy2cAOqwrVzLUKO0ZEeDulNw89txuGPVh2VyqPas

Second Amendment

The “Stand Your Ground” bill is now Act 250. It repeals the obligation to retreat from a confrontation if you could do so safely. From now on, you can respond with deadly force.

Act 809 by Senator Clark allows employees to keep a firearm concealed in their motor vehicle while the employee is at work and the vehicle is on the company parking lot.

The governor vetoed SB 298 by Senator Stubblefield, the Arkansas Sovereignty Act, which directed Arkansas law enforcement to ignore federal gun laws if they are unconstitutional.

To replace SB 298, the legislature met in a midnight session to approve HB 1957 by Sen. Irvin and Rep. Wardlaw. It became Act 1012.

Act 1012 allows local police officers to cooperate with federal agents on many types of law enforcement, such as arresting drug dealers. It prohibits Arkansas law enforcement from cooperating with federal agents if the federal operation’s main purpose is confiscation of firearms or any other infringement on the Second Amendment.

Abortion

Act 309 by Sen. Rapert prohibits abortions except to save the life of the mother, with no exception for rape or incest.

Act 949 by Senator Beckham requires abortion clinics to be licensed by the Health Department and prohibits abortions at hospitals unless it is to save the life of the mother.

Act 90 by Rep. Dotson requires expectant mothers to take counseling before getting an abortion. The counseling will present all the services available if they keep their child.

Act 561 by Rep. Breaux prohibits the use of public funds to pay for abortions caused by rape or incest, which is allowed under the federal Hyde Amendment. Act 561 allows public funding for abortions to save the life of the mother.

Tax Cuts

Act 154 by Senator Dismang is a tax cut for people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Unemployment benefits will not be taxed by the state, saving Arkansans about $59 million in state income taxes.

Act 248 by Rep. Eaves will save Arkansas businesses $33 million this year and $179 million next fiscal year through tax exemptions on income that people and businesses received through numerous disaster relief programs, such as the popular Paycheck Protection Program.

More than 43,000 Arkansas businesses received more than $3.3 billion through PPP loans.

As of mid-January, about 19 percent of those loans have been forgiven. The exemption includes benefits from federal Small Business Administration loans and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Act 935 by Rep. Eaves is called “Paisley’s Law,” and it creates a $500 individual income tax credit for a stillborn child. It will save Arkansas families $139,500 in Fiscal 2022, according to DFA estimates.

Act 944 by Sen. Trent Garner expands the state’s annual sales-tax holiday to include electronic devices, calculators and cell phones. State law provides a sales-tax holiday for purchases of clothing, clothing accessories or equipment, school art supplies, school instructional materials and school supplies. The bill is projected by the finance department to reduce sales and use tax revenue by $1.95 million in fiscal 2022.

Act 594 by Rep. Wardlaw creates an income tax credit for timber companies to offset the costs of wood energy products and forest maintenance.

Act 1013 by Rep. Jett and Senator Dismang is the governor’s plan to reduce the sales tax on used vehicles and trailers priced between $4,000 and $10,000 from 6.5% to 3.5%.

DFA estimates its revenue impact is $6.5 million in FY 2022 and $13.1 million in fiscal 2023. The bill would become effective Jan. 1.

Act 362 by Senator Dismang and others will set up a voluntary individual income tax on pass-through business entities, such as partnerships and S corporations, if they opt to be subject to the tax, and it would exclude certain income from gross income for pass-through entities. Up to 45,826 entities could elect to pay the pass-through entity tax.

DFA projects the act will generate $4.24 million in increased state general revenue, but Dismang said it would provide an estimated $50 million worth of federal tax savings for these same taxpayers.

Education

Act 414 by Sen. English requires high school students to complete a unit of computer science in order to graduate, beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2022-2023.

Act 679 by Senator Irvin and Act 680 by Rep. Cozart create a new category of education funding called the teacher salary equalization categorical fund.

The bill allows districts with below-average teacher salaries to draw from a special fund, in order to raise their average annual salary to $51,822 in the next two school years.

The proposal shifts $25 million in state education funding.

Act 684 allows parents to challenge curricula and events they feel are misleading or factually inaccurate. Rep. Bruce Cozart is the sponsor. He said would put into law what is already in place in policy set by the Arkansas School Board Association.

Act 958 by Rep. Mark Berry requires schools to play the National Anthem before sporting events, and at least once a week in K-12 during school hours.

Act 959 by Rep. Mark Berry requires schools to hold a minute of silence after the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Act 611 by Senator Hester requires all schools to teach about the Holocaust in Nazi occupied countries of Europe before and during World War II.

Failed education bills

—HB 1761 by Rep. Lowery states that schools shall not teach that any race or ethnicity is superior, that any member of any race or ethnicity is inherently racist, that the United States is systemically racist, or promote prejudice or discrimination toward any race or ethnicity.

Other controversial education bills that failed to pass were:

–HB 1830 by Rep. Dotson, the “Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act,”

–HB 1701 by Rep. Bentley to allow the teaching of creationism.

–HB1231 by Rep. Lowery to prohibit schools from using “1619 Project,” which was written by New York Times journalists to recognize the role of slavery and African-American people in the nation’s history.

–HB1218 by Rep. Lowery to prohibit schools from teaching that American institutions have been racist.

Medicaid

Act 530 restructures Medicaid expansion and gives it a new name – ARHOME.

a)      Hospitals and doctors would still be reimbursed at rates paid by private insurance companies, rather than lower Medicaid rates.

b)      The state/federal match would still be 10 percent/90 percent.

c)      Rather than require recipients to work, which the federal government under the Biden administration will no longer mandate, recipients will be encouraged to work or continue their education. If they work, they qualify for private insurance plans that offer more services than traditional Medicaid.

d)      Private insurance carriers will be required to meet annual financial targets. If not, there will be penalties.

Medicine

Act 434 by Senator Dismang extends for two years, until July 1, 2023, the sunset date for the 2017 state law mandating all sellers of medical marijuana collect and remit the special 4% privilege tax on sales.

UAMS receives much of the revenue from the medical marijuana tax to help it achieve the National Cancer Institute designation.

DFA projects that the bill will raise $13.3 million in FY 2022, with $12.4 million deposited to the UAMS National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.

Act 462 by Senator Hammer will allow medical practitioners, hospitals and insurance providers to decline services that violate their consciences.

Act 829 by Sen. Hester and Rep. Dotson eases restrictions on telemedicine.

Act 779 by Senator Irvin mandates health insurance coverage of colorectal screenings and follow-up colonoscopies for people aged 45 and older. The previous threshold was age 50.

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Scope of Practice

Act 757 by Senator Wallace creates a pilot program in high schools for students to graduate with credits toward their Licensed Practical Nurse certificate.

Act 503 by Senator Wallace authorizes pharmacists to diagnose flu and strep and then prescribe medications.

Act 449 by Senator Wallace repeals certain requirements that a certified registered nurse anesthetist work under supervision of a physician.

Acts 406 and 407 by Senator Gilmore allows pharmacists and their technicians to administer vaccines and immunizations.

Act 412 by Senator Hammer grants full independent practice authority to certified nurse practitioners, after 6,240 hours of practice under a physician’s supervision.

Act 408 by Senator Davis allows pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills, for up to six months. After six months the woman must visit a physician in order to continue getting oral contraceptives.

Act 607 by Senator Hammer grants full practice authority to certified nurse midwives.

Act 439 by Senator Davis allows staff at city or county jails to draw and measure insulin for inmates. It repeals a requirement that only a nurse could do so. The staff must be trained every year by a nurse.

Covid push back

Act 403 by Senator Hammer allows the Senate president pro tempore, the Speaker, or a majority of the chambers to terminate an emergency declared by the governor.

Act 311 by Senator Davis allows the families of Covid-19 patients to visit them in the hospital, as long as they follow protocols. It’s called the “No Patient Left Alone Act.”

SB 301 by Senator Sullivan would have required the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division and the Health Department to return fines to businesses that were sanctioned during the public-health emergency between March 11, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021.

The governor vetoed SB 301. The Senate voted 19-to-13 to override, but the override failed in the House on a vote of 39-to-40.

Act 401 by Senator Hammer prohibits the state from penalizing businesses if customers, rather than employees, disregard public-health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Act 559 by Rep. Gonzales provides immunity for businesses and employees from claims of exposure to the virus. Gonzales said businesses that fail to follow public health guidelines could still be held liable under the bill’s “misconduct” exception.

Act 353 by Rep. Gonzalez allows employees to file workers’ comp claims for contracting Covid-19 on the job. It effective dates are from March 11, 2020 until May 1, 2023.

Act 510 by Rep. McCollum codifies two executive orders by the governor that protect health care providers with immunity from civil suits caused by Covid-19 claims.

Act 1030 by Senator Garner defines a vaccine passport and states that “The use of a vaccine passport shall not be a condition for entry, travel, education or services” and that government agencies at all levels shall not require people to use a passport for any purpose.

Criminal Law

Act 946 by Sen. Dismang lengthens prison sentences for repeat offenders who use firearms to commit felonies.

Act 375 creates the offense of doxxing against a minor. This is defined as publishing on social media private information such as phone numbers and home addresses, and urging people to “get them” or “do something about them.”

Act 375 makes it a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the harm that comes to the person who was “doxxed.”

Act 1061 by Senator Blake Johnson increases penalties for drag racing on public streets and highways.

Act 558 increases penalties for drivers who fail to remain at the scene of an accident.

Act 274 by Rep. L. Fite and Senator Hammer increases the “lookback” period for DWI’s, from five to 10 years. To be sentenced as a repeat offender, authorities consider the past 10 years rather than the past five. The act applies to DWI while boating too.

Transgender Restrictions

Act 626 by Senator Clark prohibits sex-change surgery or hormone therapy for minors who want to change genders.

Act 461 by Sen. Irvin prohibits transgender women from competing in female sports, in effect, by allowing lawsuits against a school if it has a policy that allows trans gender girls to compete.

Election laws

Act 728 by Sen. Kim Hammer prohibits people from entering or remaining in an area within 100 feet of the entrance to a voting site while voting is taking place, except for a person entering or leaving the building for “lawful purposes.”

Proponents of the bill said it aims to prevent voter intimidation, electioneering activities and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, while objectors said it was overly broad and could prevent nonprofits from distributing food and water.

Act 729 makes establishing polling sites solely the duty of county election commissioners.

Act 727 amends the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act to exempt ballots from records that can be disclosed to the public.

Act 756 by Rep. Lowery enhances the power of the state Election Commission to investigate complaints about local elections. It also gives the county election commission power over election budgeting process, although counties pay the bill.

Act 974 by Senator Hammer creates a toll-free hotline to the state Attorney General’s office to receive complaints of any violations of election law. To knowingly file a false claim would be a Class A misdemeanor.

Within 45 days of an election, the Attorney General shall report all complaints to the legislature’s Joint Performance Review Committee (JPR). SB 644 would empower JPR to investigate allegations of election fraud.

Act 736 by Rep. Lowery states that possession of more than four absentee ballots is presumed to be election fraud. It requires county clerks to provide the county board of election commissioners with a daily count of absentee ballot applications.

The act directs county clerks to compare signatures on applications for absentee ballots with signatures on the applicant’s voter registration document. If the signatures don’t match, the clerk will not send an absentee ballot to the applicant.

Act 1022 by Senator Clark requires the county board of election commissioners to prepare a report on ballots, listing the number of provisional ballots cast and the number rejected and for what reasons.

Act 973 by Senator Hammer moves back the deadline when absentee ballots must be turned in to the county clerk, from Monday before the election to the preceding Friday.

Act 952 by Senator Mark Johnson changes the course of action when someone files an election law complaint to a county board of election commissioners. Instead of forwarding the complaint to the county clerk and prosecuting attorney, the county board shall send it to the state Board of Election Commissioners.

Act 950 by Senator Mark Johnson provides that county boards of election commissioners shall supervise all county election officials, and they must comply with the board’s directives.

Act 249 by Rep. Lowery repeals a provision that allowed voters to sign an affidavit at their polling place if they didn’t bring a photo ID.

The county Board of Election Commissioners would then later verify that the voter was registered and eligible. Act 249 does not allow for a signature at the polling place. Voters without a photo ID will have to cast a provisional ballot, and for it to be counted they will have to go to the county courthouse by the following Monday.

Landlord-Tenant Rights

Act 1052 by Senator Dismang sets housing standards that landlords must follow when maintaining residential rental property. If the property is not kept up to the standards, renters may cancel their lease after proper notification of the landlord.

It also eliminates the requirement that renters put up a deposit in order to file a complaint.

Broadband

Act 67 by Senator Hill allows cities and counties to issue bonds for broadband infrastructure.

Act 795 by Rep. Lanny Fite allows for the creation of broadband improvement districts by public-private partnerships.

Child Custody

Act 604 affects custody battles in divorce cases. It creates a rebuttable presumption that joint custody is in the best interest of the child.

College Athletes

Act 810 by Speaker Shepherd would allow college athletes to be paid for use of their names, images and likenesses.

Agriculture

Act 361 by Senator Hill and Rep. Hillman amends the make-up of the state Plant Board. It adds a member, so the board will have 19 members rather than 18. It combines the horticulture and nurserymen positions into one position, to be filled by a farmer.

Act 418 by Rep. Vaught will create a state meat inspection program, similar to programs in 27 other states. Part of the impetus for the bill was the strong response to a new $5 million grant program for expanding and upgrading Arkansas meat processing facilities. Then, the General Assembly allocated funds from the federal CARES Act to create the grant program, which generated 45 applications requesting more than $30 million in funds.

This session, $750,000 will be appropriated to the Agriculture Department for an eight-man inspection team.

(Above provided by the Arkansas Senate – any commentary does not necessarily reflect Reopen Arkansas positions or endorsement.)

We have finally obtained an updated list from Doralee Chandler of the fines issued by ABC. Note that the amount collected was far greater than the legislature had been led to believe. This spreadsheet only represents ABC fines and not ADH fines, which were assessed separately. Click on the ‘Documents’ tab of the website to read through the many documents we have obtained from both ABC and ADH.