I first heard about Asa Hutchinson, now governor of Arkansas. in 1986 when he ran for the U.S. Senate against Dale Bumpers. Bumpers, a moderate Democrat, pulverized the radical right Hutchinson, winning all but 6 of Arkansas' 75 counties in a 433,122 (62.3%) to 262,313 (37.7%) rout. Ten years later, Hutchinson's brother, Tim, left his congressional seat open to run for the Senate. The two brothers both won their races. He was reelected twice-- the Democrats not running candidates against him-- and in 1998 served as an impeachment manager against Bill Clinton. He left Congress in 2001 after Bush appointed him to run the Drug Enforcement Administration and then the Border and Transportation Security Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. When he returned to Arkansas he jumped back into electoral politics and was immediately defeated when he ran for governor in 2006 by Democrat Mike Beebe.He ran again in 2014 and won and was reelected in 2018. He's generally been considered one of the most far right extremist of any governor in America. And this week he showed why again. Every county the state has coronavirus cases and statewide there are around 1,000 confirmed cases, the most in Pulaski, Jefferson, Cleburne, Crittenden, Faulkner and Garland counties. Hutchinson is one of the right-wing nut-jobs who has refused to impose stay-at-home orders but he decided to go further than the other right-wing nut-jobs. On Tuesday, Hutchinson told mayors of cities that did impose stay-at-home orders that they are out of bounds and have no authority to do any such thing, likely condemning thousands in Arkansas to death.
He spoke at a news conference with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who said he had asked the governor to impose such an order on the capital city."I've had discussions with a number of different mayors, and I think it points to the need to have a statewide policy," Hutchinson said when asked if other mayors had made similar requests."If you have a business in one community, it impacts others."He spoke just after officials announced the deaths of two more Arkansans from the coronavirus, raising its death toll in the state to 18.The number of identified cases rose by 70, to 997.In the health emergency declaration that Hutchinson issued on March 11, the day the state's first case was discovered, the Republican governor barred cities and counties from issuing "quarantine regulations of commerce or travel" except "by authority of the Secretary of Health."Another executive order Hutchinson issued Saturday clarifies that cities and counties can take "reasonable measures" to limit the virus's spread by closing parks and facilities and imposing curfews, as long as they don't prevent people from getting to work, acquiring food and other necessities, walking pets or exercising while staying at least 6 feet away from other people."We have given them additional discretion in terms of curfews, but we want that coordinated with my office so that we're all on the same path," Hutchinson said Tuesday."We have discussions on this. Sometimes there's agreement, sometimes there's disagreement, but that's what brings us success and lets us work through this together."Scott said he speaks to Hutchinson at least once a day if not twice."From the city of Little Rock's perspective yes, I believe that is what's best for Little Rock," Scott said of a stay-at-home order. "But that may not be what is best for Fort Smith."And so as mayor of the city, that's something that we desire; however, we are working within the confines of the current laws and great partnership with the governor."
We'll watch Arkansas closely from here on and see if Governor Hutchinson's gamble with the lives of his state's citizens works or not.UPDATE: Kansas Republicans TooSo not just crazy Hutchinson. The Republican leaders of Kansas' legislature are also excited to see how many Kansans they can kill. So far there are only 1,046 confirmed cases and 38 deaths in Kansas, most of them in Johnson, Wyandotte and Sedgewick counties. Kansans elected a Democratic governor but unfortunately leaving the right-wing crazies in charge of the state legislature so... yesterday they overturned her executive order limiting attendance at church gatherings. Do you doubt that the GOP really is a death cult?
