Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Signs Conservative Executive Orders in First Week
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was sworn in as the next Governor of Arkansas on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. After speaking before a joint session of the Arkansas General Assembly, Governor Sanders then delivered her inaugural address on the steps of the Arkansas Capitol.
During this speech Gov. Sanders announced a series of executive orders (EO) regarding education, government growth/regulations, and combatting the woke left-wing agenda in our schools and government. All of her executive orders matched her campaign promises and support her statement that she will be the education governor. Below are details of those executive orders.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Week 1 Executive Orders:
- Requires a review of all previous executive orders, particularly those issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, including any conflicting orders and the impact of those orders on the people of Arkansas.
- This review is due by the Inspector General to the Governor within ninety days.
- Calls out China as a foreign adversary that presents serious challenges to the values, security, and economy of Arkansas.
- Review and report of whether any Arkansas communications, products, or services could pose an undue risk to the safety or security of Arkansas on account of its connection with or use by a foreign adversary (such as China).
- This is interesting considering former Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s support of China including having an office for economic development work with that country.
- Prohibition on the installation or use of TikTok on government networks and devices.
- The Governor must reduce government waste and eliminate unnecessary spending at every level of government.
- Freeze for any vacant positions as of January 10, 2023, at all state entities, unless otherwise stated in the order.
- Terminate all ongoing hiring processes that have not already resulted in a formal offer of employment.
- Any requests to fill positions must be sent to Department of Transformation and Shared Services for then final consideration by the Governor’s Executive Review.
- Hiring freeze not applicable to: positions authorized by federally funded public employment effort; positions for the Department of Corrections; positions for the Department of Public Safety.
- Exempted from the hiring freeze order:
- Legislative branch of government
- Judicial branch of government
- State institutions of higher education
- Offices of Constitutional officers
- Staff of multimember boards, commissions, or committees
- Department of Transportation
- Game and Fish Commission
- Points to $53 million in improper unemployment benefits to ineligible applications over three years.
- Department of Commerce must review and implement measures to enhance integrity in the UI program, reduce the rate of inappropriate payments, and reduce fraud.
- Verify applicant eligibility with state and federal new hire directories.
- Cross-checking applicant eligibility through state and federal incarceration records, state death records, and the multi-state Integrity Data Hub.
- Conducting additional review and investigation of multiple claims from a single internet protocol address using a similar mailing address or bank account.
- Ensuring that claims made from out-of-state applications are strictly verified prior to approval and payment.
- Any other measure the Secretary of the department deems effective in carrying out the directive.
- Secretary of Commerce must provide quarterly progress reports to the Governor.
- According to Pew Research, only 3% of American Latinos and Hispanics use the “Latinx” to describe themselves.
- All state offices, departments, and agencies shall not use the term Latinx in official state documents.
- The Governor will remain in control of rules and regulations proposed to a legislative committee by the Governor’s state departments, agencies, and offices, and they must seek approval from the Governor in proposing new rules or regulations or amending existing rules and regulations, unless granted an exemption.
- Policy of the Governor that Arkansans and its businesses will not be burdened with unnecessary or overburdensome regulatory requirements.
- All state departments, agencies, and offices may not appear before a legislative committee regarding rulemaking procedure, unless granted an exemption and must submit any rules for her review.
- State departments, agencies, and offices must submit two rules for repeal for every one rule presented for rulemaking.
- Teachers should teach students how to think – not what to think.
- Critical Race Theory, discrimination, and indoctrination have no place in Arkansas classrooms.
- Review and repeal any rules that would indoctrinate students with ideologies, such as CRT, that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate against someone based on the individuals color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law.
- Prohibit employees’ contractors, or guest speakers or lecturers from indoctrination, including CRT.
- Only 35% of Arkansas third graders read at grade level.
- Nearly 70% of those incarcerated cannot read at a fourth-grade level.
- More than 140,000 Arkansas students attend schools rated “D” or “F”
- Comprehensive review to ensure districts are implementing the Right to Read Act with every student receiving evidence-based literacy instruction with a curriculum aligned to the Science of Reading and every teacher has received training in the science of reading.
- Empower parents by streamlining processes to continue, expand, and replicate effective charter schools.
- Provide parents and the public access to information about classroom curriculum, required reading materials and books, and classrooms assessments in all public schools.
- Review how schools have used emergency relief funds from COVID19 legislation.
- Review of teacher shortages by region, accessible list of alternative certification programs to recruit high-quality teachers, remove unnecessary, outdated, or burdensome licensing requirements.
- Analysis on the return on investments of the programs, degrees and certificates, and industry-recognized credentials offered by Arkansas K-12, postsecondary, and workforce institutions.
- Improve and expand broadband internet statewide with access to high-speed interest in each school and school district.
- Annual active shooter drills and school safety assessments.
- Implement strategies to increase presence of trained law enforcement officers and school security officers on campuses.
- Reversal of five executive orders signed by former Gov. Asa Hutchinson regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Will prioritize and promote other challenges relate to public health.
- Upon request and in accord with Arkansas law, the Arkansas Department of Health shall make available COVID-19 reports and information readily available and in the Department’s possession.
