sarah huckabee sanders
Arkansas sending 80 National Guard soldiers to southern U.S. border to assist Texas
This story was updated at 3:24 p.m. on June 1, 2023. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has directed roughly 80 Arkansas National Guard members to the southern U.S. border in Texas to help state immigration enforcement authorities. The Arkansas soldiers will spend the month of July at the U.S.-Mexico border, assisting the Texas National Guard. The […]
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders added to list of Americans banned from Russia
This story was updated at 12:55 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined the ranks of several Arkansans who aren’t allowed into Russia in response to U.S. sanctions. The former White House press secretary was included on a list of 500 more Americans who have fallen out of favor with […]
Arkansas LEARNS Act referendum submitted a third time
A group pursuing a ballot referendum to overturn the LEARNS Act hopes the third time’s the charm. Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) resubmitted its ballot title proposal Friday following a second rejection by the attorney general’s office last week. The group’s goal is to place the issue on the 2024 ballot so […]
Arkansas education department searching for LEARNS Act literacy coaches
The Arkansas Department of Education is seeking statewide literacy coaches to help meet literacy standards set in the LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ sweeping education legislation. The literacy coaches will “support teachers and promote evidence-based literacy instruction aligned to the Science of Reading” in kindergarten through third grade classrooms in public schools with a […]
Arkansas budget director resigns after less than four months
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ budget director resigned last week, less than four months into the role. Sanders named Aaron Black her budget director in January. He had previously been the compliance director at the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. Before that, Black was an aide to former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is Sanders’ father, […]
Arkansas education board approves first ‘transformation contract’ under LEARNS Act
The Arkansas State Board of Education on Friday approved a first-of-its-kind arrangement to allow a charter school company to run a public school district under threat of closure. The board voted in favor of a recommendation for the Marvell-Elaine District to enter into a “transformation contract” with the Friendship Education Foundation, the first such agreement […]
Arkansas governor names new state higher education leader
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Monday that she’d selected Ken Warden to serve as the Arkansas Division of Higher Education Commissioner. Warden is the associate vice chancellor for Compliance and Legislative Affairs at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, where he’s worked for nine years. He served as the dean of the College […]
The Arkansas Legislature officially ends the 2023 legislative session
This year’s legislative session officially ended Monday after the Arkansas House of Representatives and Senate adjourned sine die. The House did not convene, meaning a resolution closing the session automatically took effect at noon. The Senate met briefly to approve several ceremonial resolutions and a handful of gubernatorial appointments to state boards, commissions and leadership […]
Arkansas Legislature set to formally adjourn 2023 session next week
This year’s legislative session wrapped up three weeks ago, but the Arkansas General Assembly plans to officially adjourn “sine die” on Monday. Sine die — a Latin phrase for “without day” — means the Legislature will adjourn indefinitely. Adjournment sine die also triggers several legal processes, starting the 90-day clock for new acts to become […]
Sanders plugs Arkansas LEARNS Act benefits before receptive Jonesboro audience
JONESBORO — Touting her new education overhaul during a town hall meeting in Jonesboro Monday evening, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she expects Arkansas will soon lead the nation in elementary and high school education. “We’ll see significant changes,” she said to a crowd of about 120 in a small theater inside the Fowler Center […]
Medicaid error fixed ahead of scheduled removal of ineligible clients, per Arkansas DHS
Several Arkansas Medicaid recipients were briefly disenrolled from the health insurance program last week due to an error at the state Department of Human Services, two DHS spokespeople said Monday. “Coverage has been restored for most of these beneficiaries, though there are some isolated cases that are being fixed today,” communications chief Gavin Lesnick said […]
Expansion projects paused as Arkansas decides how to increase prison capacity
While Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has made expanding the state’s prison capacity a priority, three projects started under the previous administration are on hold for now. The early stages of those efforts — an expansion of a prison in North Arkansas and the new construction of a 1,000-bed prison and a separate 300-bed community […]