Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has announced that he will be calling the state legislature into a special session to consider allowing school boards to require students and staff to wear masks in schools. Hutchinson in April signed into law legislation that prohibits state and local government entities, including public school districts, from requiring or mandating any kind of face covering. The Republican governor said Thursday, however, that he is planning to call a special session—most likely next week—for the purpose of changing that law. “This is not a debate about mask mandates for those that can make their own decisions and have the means to get vaccinated,” Hutchinson said during a press conference at the state Capitol. “This is a discussion about the school environment where schools can make decisions about the public health for their school environment and the children they have [the] responsibility to protect.” The announcement came …