All articles tagged with #governor sarah huckabee sanders
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has declared a state of emergency for the state in anticipation of the Great American Eclipse, releasing funds to assist commercial carriers transporting essential items and addressing potential dangers and hardships posed by the influx of out-of-state travelers. The state of emergency will remain in effect until April 10, 2024.
Arkansas will no longer allow residents to use "X" instead of male or female on state-issued driver's licenses or identification cards, with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders defending the move as "common sense." The rule change, which must be approved by a legislative committee, aims to legally define sex as binary, but has faced criticism for being discriminatory towards transgender and nonbinary people, as well as creating uncertainty for intersex individuals. The discontinued policy allowed for the "X" designation without verifiable information, and the state has about 342 driver's licenses and 174 IDs with the "X" designation.
The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld the procedural vote that allowed Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul to take effect immediately, rejecting a judge's ruling that questioned the fast-tracking of state laws. The court's decision has no impact on the already effective education law, which includes a school voucher program, increased teacher salaries, and restrictions on classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents argued that the Legislature violated the state constitution, but the court ruled that the emergency clause for the law was passed in compliance with the constitution. Governor Sanders celebrated the ruling, while critics expressed concerns about government accountability.
New public records have raised further questions about the reimbursement process for Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders' $19,000 lectern, which was purchased using a government credit card. The Arkansas GOP paid for the lectern in September, but the words "to be reimbursed" were added later to the original invoice. A legislative panel is expected to vote on an audit of the purchase, which has faced scrutiny. Sanders' office has called the use of a state credit card for the lectern an accounting error, but an email released this week suggests that the reimbursement note was added after the fact.