REMEMBERING THE OVERLOOKED: Sen. Joyce Elliott (file photo). Brian Chilson

The Arkansas Democratic Party pronounces the legislative session failed the people in Arkansas who need help most.

The statement is more pointed, but Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock) also put in a word as the session closed for the people still working to stock groceries, man drive-through lines at fast-food restaurants and deliver mail and packages to doors, often without protective gear. They are overlooked for continuing to provide essentials, she said. Legislators should ask why some are protected and some not. “They deserve better than that, she said. It’s worst in areas where people are marginalized, she said. “They are just as important as the rest of us.”

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The statement from Michael John Gray, Democratic Party chair:

Legislators are going home but there’s more work to do,” said DPA Chairman Michael John Gray. “The state has caused all sorts of restaurants, hair salons, and small businesses to shut down but have let the big box stores stay open, which also forces rural Arkansans to travel for necessities in a time when we should be staying at home.
 
We’re hitting record unemployment numbers. It’s not good enough to just leave it all up to the federal government. There needs to be some direct state support. That includes for frontline medical workers like direct care and non-direct care workers in nursing homes, EMTs, and physical therapists who aren’t getting any bonuses.
 
We know that more than 100,000 Arkansans are heading into the summer unable to pay their rent and utility bills. But the Legislature didn’t file a single piece of legislation to make sure Arkansans will be able to stay in their homes or keep their lights on, by placing a moratorium on evictions and utility disconnects. We’ve lost more jobs in a month than we gained in the last 10 years. I don’t see any urgency coming from the state Capitol. This Fiscal Session is over, but we are in a time of crisis and there is more work to do.
 
The Legislature also failed to support a Vote By Mail option for Arkansans despite the clear and present danger of COVID-19. Vote By Mail is proven to work in other states and more are moving to it now. This is about keeping voters and poll workers safe. It is already hard to get poll workers in rural Arkansas and fears like this only exacerbate the problem.”

The Democrats’ numbers in the legislature are too small to force even a slowdown of spending bills. But the voice is worth hearing.

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