Governor asks state lawmakers for a ‘transformational legislative session’

Gov. Sarah Sanders delivered her state of the state speech to a joint session of the Arkansas Legislature on Tuesday (Jan. 14) outlining her priorities for the 95th General Assembly.

Calling for another “transformational legislative session,” Sanders touched on topics ranging from K-12 education, higher education, inflation, crime, mental health and immigration.

“We are not defined by the problems we face, but how we face our problems,” said Sanders.

“When I took office, I was the youngest governor in the country and I promised to bring a new generation of leadership. And over the past two years, Arkansas has been the vanguard of a national conservative revolution, which in just six days, we’ll put Donald J. Trump back in the White House,” she said. “But these victories don’t mean we can take our foot off the gas. Today, I’m here to renew my promise for a new generation of leadership, for a new path forward and for a new vision for Arkansas.”

EDUCATION
Sanders declared that her LEARNS education act was having a positive influence on teaching in Arkansas. She touted salary and merit increases for teachers, school safety grants, education freedom accounts, or EFAs – the voucher program that has made private and parochial school more affordable for families. The governor’s budget proposes $90 million in new funding for EFAs in the next fiscal year.

Sanders said that her pilot program to ban cell phones in schools has been very successful and will push for a wider implementation of the program. The proposal would prevent students from using cell phones “from bell to bell,” she said, noting that in pilot schools there have been over 50% drops in physical alterations and drug offenses.

She also said she wanted to update last session’s Social Media Safety Act to allow for people to sue social media companies under state law. That legislation is still tied up in litigation.

On the higher education front, Sanders proposed a number of changes that will fold under a banner known as “Access Arkansas.” She wants to streamline the application process for colleges and universities to one universal form; allow for immediate termination of college professors – tenured or not – if they engage in “woke indoctrination.” She also stated that changes to the funding formula for higher education were on her agenda as she wants schools to be geared for better job outcomes for students.

“For far too long, students have been told the lie that the only way to be successful is to get a four-year degree right out of college, right out of high school. When this body passes Arkansas access, every student, young and old will know the truth. Every Arkansan is unique and every education journey will be unique too. The investments we make today in education will have a payoff long time down the road,” said Sanders.

TAXES AND THE ECONOMY
Touting her role in three major income tax cuts during her two years in office, Sanders didn’t offer a specific additional income tax cut proposal, although lawmakers are expected to consider possibilities after the state’s fiscal year closes in June.

Sanders did note outline three specific proposals aimed at offering economic relief to Arkansans. She said a study that has preliminarily identified $300 million in savings in state government expenses would be considered this session.

She also said she wanted to shift some medical marijuana tax collections into paying for free school breakfasts for school children who choose to participate. Additionally, she said she supports expanding the summer EBT [electronic benefit transfer] program that gives $120 over the summer months to parents whose kids receive free and reduced-price lunches.

“During the school year, we’ve partnered with groups like the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to sign families up, and last summer, we served a quarter million of Arkansas students here in Arkansas. Through that program, $120 may not sound like a lot to many of you, but for some people in our state and on families just trying to put food on their tables, we can,” said Sanders.

She also declared she intends to end the grocery tax, which is currently one-eighth of a cent and is dedicated to funding the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Parks and Tourism, and the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission. Sanders didn’t offer details on how this remaining tax would be eliminated, but it may require passage of a constitutional amendment.

CRIME
The governor highlighted several efforts she wants the legislature to address on the criminal justice front. For starters, she has asked for 20% pay increases for state troopers to help recruit new candidates for the law enforcement ranks. She touted her efforts to free up 1,500 new prison beds to relieve a county backlog and underscored her continued support for a new 3,000 bed prison in Franklin County.

Sanders called for further efforts to help law enforcement defend and capture criminals in the country illegally, but did not provide details on how the legislation might work. She wants a law passed last session to prohibit residents or businesses in adversarial countries, like China, from owning U.S. property in Arkansas. Sanders also called on the legislature to pass a bill that will allow sheriffs to remove squatters from private property.

In unveiling a new state award she plans to utilize, Sanders provided the Arkansas Medal of Freedom award to Dallas County Sheriff Mike Knoedl, whose police force engaged quickly when a shooter opened fire in a Fordyce supermarket last year. Four people were killed and nine people were injured in the melee. Knoedl worked in the aftermath of the shooting to raise money for families who were affected by the shooting.

“As Mike exemplifies, Arkansans are the kindest, most hardworking, most generous people on Earth. As their public servants, let us walk in their footsteps,” she said in placing a medal around his neck.

“Education, cost of living, public safety – those are the priorities that have defined the first two years of my administration. And with your help, those are the priorities that will define the next two as well,” she said. “But I’m also clear-eyed about the future. I know that government doesn’t have a magic wand that it can wave to make everything better. I know that in order to improve, we have to be united in our vision and our actions.”