After being sworn in as Arkansas' first female governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to think bigger and bolder and to do better than Arkansas has ever done before in this year's regular session.
In her subsequent inaugural address on the steps of the state Capitol, the Republican governor described herself as "a bold conservative reformer" and pledged to sign executive orders aimed at freezing state government hiring and regulations and at preventing "the political indoctrination" of Arkansas' schoolchildren.
Shortly thereafter, Sanders signed seven executive orders.
The 40-year-old daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee was sworn in by Chief Justice Dan Kemp with her husband, Bryan Sanders, holding a Bible at her side, in the Arkansas House of Representatives chambers, with the Sanders' three children watching.
Sanders succeeded term-limited Asa Hutchinson, who had served as governor since 2015.
"It is an absolute honor to stand before you as the 47th governor, and the first woman governor of the great state of Arkansas," she said, with representatives and senators packed into the House's chambers along with Republican U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton, former Democratic U.S. Sen. and Gov. David Pryor, Mike Huckabee, Hutchinson and others. Former Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe attended her subsequent inaugural address.
"As we gather in these storied chambers at the dawn of a new day, a turning point in the history of Arkansas will usher in a new era of good jobs, great schools, safer streets and stronger families," Sanders said.
"The people of Arkansas in their vast wisdom have entrusted a new generation to lead," she said. "This is our moment. This is our opportunity. And you and I are leaders who our people have chosen to get the job done."
Arkansas has weathered its fair share of storms in recent years, such as the worldwide pandemic, shuttered schools, crippling inflation and rising crime, but that long night of hardship and heartache is breaking into a brighter tomorrow in Arkansas, Sanders said.
"I couldn't ask for better partners in this endeavor," she said, referring to Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, and House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado.
"Your partnership is the reason I know we will deliver for the people of Arkansas," Sanders said. "I want this Legislature to know that as governor, I will always have an open door and an open mind. And like most of you..., I don't care about getting the credit. I only care about getting results."
Sanders said she wants lawmakers to deliver "another historic tax cut and give the people of Arkansas the pay raise that they deserve" with family budgets still battered by inflation.
"Let's not surrender the competition for jobs to other states. Let's cut taxes and bring the jobs right here to Arkansas, and let's also cut wasteful spending so we can continue to phase out the state income tax altogether," she said.
The largest tax cut in the state's history is the income tax cut measure enacted in 2021 and accelerated in 2022, which has an annual revenue impact of $497 million at full implementation, Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin said afterward.
In her remarks to lawmakers, Sanders asked them to send her legislation that expands pre-kindergarten access, improves literacy and gives students what she called "real-world skills they need to succeed in the workplace."
[Read the text of Sanders' executive orders, inaugural address » arkansasonline.com/111inaug/]
She said parents cannot be an afterthought in education and parents are the foundation of a child's success, "so let's give parents a greater role in education, including the right to choose the school that's best for their child, whether it is public, private or parochial.
"When we give parents a choice, we give children a chance," Sanders said.
Last week, she said she wants to combine teacher pay raises with her Arkansas LEARNS plan that prioritizes increasing literacy, empowering parents, holding educators accountable, improving student readiness, and expanding high-speed internet and school safety into one education bill.
"I do think that we can do a better job of letting some funding follow the student [with] things like education savings accounts, stuff like that," Sanders said last week. She said parents of students attending private schools or who are home-schooled wouldn't necessarily get the same amount as the state provides to the public schools for students, and that could be phased in.
Regarding public safety, she said Tuesday that any government that tolerates rampant crime has failed in its most important duty to secure the lives, liberty and property of its citizens, and "as of today, Arkansas will tolerate crime no longer.
"Together, we will build the prison space we need to keep our citizens safe [and] will put more of our courageous cops on the street," Sanders said. "We will shut down the crime wave that has plagued our cities, and we will teach our children that the badge is a symbol of justice, the police are a force for good, and our officers are heroes who are worthy of our highest respect."
She said there is much more progress that she and the Legislature can achieve as partners working together.
"If you send me legislation promoting adoption or improving foster care, I will sign it," Sanders said. "If you send me a bill defending the right to free speech or the right to keep or bear arms, I will sign it. If you send me a bill that rewards our teachers with higher pay, I will sign it."
However, she added, "make no mistake, if you send me legislation that grows our government at the expense of freedom, I will veto it without hesitation or remorse.
"As a mom of three kids, I have no problem saying no," Sanders said.
She warned that special interests will speak loudly, but "it is the voice of the people that we must hear and follow.
"Today, let us each pledge that we will not rest until we have a government that is as good and decent and hardworking as the people of Arkansas," Sanders said.
[RELATED: Sanders’ past sets her day’s tone » arkansasonline.com/111past/]
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
In her inaugural address on the steps of the state Capitol, Sanders said her parents, Mike and Janet Huckabee, raised her in a home with love, prayed for her, nurtured her faith and taught her the meaning of principled leadership by the power of their example.
"Mom and Dad, I have never been prouder to be your daughter," she said.
In addition to being the day the first female governor in Arkansas was sworn in, Sanders said Tuesday was especially notable because she is the youngest governor currently serving anywhere in the country, as well as the first daughter of a governor to take the oath of office.
She said she doesn't want to dismiss the significance of all that, adding that she did not seek this office to be the first anything.
"I ran to make Arkansas first in everything," Sanders said.
"Today, let us begin a new chapter in the story of Arkansas, to be written by a new generation of proud Arkansas sons and daughters who are stepping forward to lead," she said.
"With this new generation, a new vision is coming to Little Rock, and today a bold conservative reformer is coming to the Governor's Mansion," she said.
Sanders said she is assembling a team of young visionary leaders from across Arkansas and the nation and said she knows that with this team and partners in the Legislature, great things are ahead.
She said the vision is for an Arkansas where strong families thrive in safe communities, jobs are abundant and paychecks are rising, and schools get back to teaching reading, writing, math and science and "where our children learn that the identity that truly matters is the one that we all share, an identity as children of God and citizens of the United States of America."
Sanders said the vision is for an Arkansas where precious unborn children are welcomed into life and protected in law and where citizens are free to think, worship and speak in accordance with their own conscience, and "where government never looms larger than liberty in our lives."
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Sanders said she would sign a series of executive orders to ensure the people of Arkansas have the utmost confidence in their government.
She said her executive orders would impose an immediate freeze on new government hiring and new government regulations. "We are limiting the growth of government before government limits the growth of individual liberty," she said.
Sanders said she also would sign an executive order "preventing the political indoctrination of Arkansas' schoolchildren.
"As long as I am governor, our schools will focus on the skills our children need to get ahead in the modern world -- not brainwashing our children with a left-wing political agenda," she said.
At a news conference in the governor's conference room, Sanders signed seven executive orders, including one aimed at prohibiting indoctrination and critical race theory in schools.
Critical race theory "is antithetical to the traditional American values of neutrality, equality and fairness," and "emphasizes skin color as a person's primary characteristic, thereby resurrecting segregationist values, which America has fought so hard to reject," according to Sanders' executive order.
Among other things, the executive order directs Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva to review the rules, regulations, policies, materials and communications of the state Department of Education to identify any items that may, purposely or otherwise, promote teaching that would indoctrinate students with ideologies, such as critical race theory, that the order says conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate against someone based on the individual's color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.
The executive order states that if any items are found to conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law, then Oliva is instructed to amend, annul, or alter those rules, regulations, policies, materials, or communications to remove the prohibited indoctrination.
As it relates to employees, contractors and guest speakers or lecturers of the Department of Education, Oliva is directed to review and enhance the policies that prevent prohibited indoctrination, including critical race theory, and Oliva shall ensure that no school employee or student shall be required to attend trainings or orientations based on prohibited indoctrination or critical race theory under the executive order.
Sanders on Tuesday also signed an executive order aimed at instituting an immediate hiring and promotion freeze for executive branch agencies. The executive order applies to all vacant positions existing on or after Tuesday at all state entities, as defined under Arkansas Code Annotated 25-43-103, unless otherwise stated in the order.
Under the executive order, the hiring and promotion freeze is not applicable to any positions authorized by federally funded public employment efforts, any positions authorized for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and any positions for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety.
Sanders also signed an executive order ordering Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald to review and implement measures to enhance the integrity of the unemployment insurance program, reduce the rate of inappropriate payments to ineligible applicants and reduce fraud.
She signed another executive order aimed at reducing state government rules and regulations, and an executive order ordering the state's inspector general to conduct a complete and exhaustive review of all previous executive orders and submit a report on the review's findings to the governor's office within 90 days.
Sanders also signed an executive order barring the installation of, connection to, or use of TikTok on any state network or state-issued information or communications technology device, including all desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and mobile phones by any entity overseen by either the director of the Office of State Procurement or the director of the Division of Information Systems.
Last month, Hutchinson tweeted out a Dec. 8 memo issued by Jonathan Askins, the state's chief technology officer, informing state employees that TikTok is prohibited on state devices and that it is not to be used on any devices connected to the state network unless for an authorized law enforcement or security purpose.
Sanders on Tuesday also signed an executive order directing that within 60 days, all state offices, departments and agencies are required to revise all existing written materials by replacing the terms "Latinx," "latinx," "Latinxs," or "latinxs" with "Hispanic," "Hispanics," "Latino," "Latinos," "Latina," or "Latinas." If the changes to the revised documents require promulgation under Arkansas law, then the requisite state office, department or agency shall promulgate the revised document in accordance with Arkansas law under the executive order.
REACTION
Afterward, Sen. Terry Rice, R-Waldron, said Sanders' speeches aligned with previous discussions he has had with her.
He said he is optimistic about Sanders working with lawmakers.
"I think she built up a lot of good capital with legislators in advance," Rice said.
"I think that will pay off."
Some of the ideas coming from the "new generation" of leadership that Sanders referred to include phasing out the state income tax, expanding school choice and promoting the state's tourism industry.
Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, said a new generation of young, conservative, Republican lawmakers are "taking a look at old problems with fresh ideas and fresh eyes."
"Our foster care system is a mess, our maternal health is a massive problem that needs to be improved, our mental health needs to be improved," he said.
"It's exciting to see younger people standing up and taking a lead representing Arkansas," said Rep. Zachary Gramlich, a first-term Republican from Fort Smith.
Seven-term Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia, said, "We all got to turn the baton over at some point."
"I welcome new blood, I welcome young people getting involved," he said.
Jean said veteran legislators like himself "still have something we can contribute."
"We still got to do things in a commonsense manner," he said.
State Rep. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs, said he welcomes new leadership in the General Assembly, saying "old heads" like himself will soon be gone.
"I think we have that new leadership coming in both our chambers," Cozart said. "In two or three years -- four -- I'll be gone."
Cozart said Sanders' aim to phase out the state's income tax will be difficult in practice, even if he supports the concept in theory.
"That's going to be a little harder than most people think," Cozart said of phasing out the state's income tax. "I hope we can do it, and I think we can. That's going to take a few years."
House Democratic leader Tippi McCullough of Little Rock said she hoped Sanders would strike a more "aspirational" and "collaborative" tone in her speeches, particularly in the inaugural speech Sanders delivered in front of the Capitol.
She said she was particularly struck by the executive orders Sanders announced on her first day in office.
"It seemed like the throwing down of the gauntlet in a sense," McCullough said of the executive orders.
She said she is concerned about lawmakers and Sanders potentially spending too much time addressing topics such as critical race theory.
"I don't think critical race theory is a problem in schools in Arkansas," McCullough said. "I don't want to get derailed on these issues."
McCullough said many of the priorities highlighted by Sanders -- including education, criminal justice and tourism -- are important areas for lawmakers to address.