LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Within the first hour of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders being sworn in, she got down to business by signing seven executive orders on Tuesday and adding another to the count on Wednesday.
Here they are:
Hiring freeze on government agencies
There is a moratorium on hiring and promotion for state positions. Governor Sanders' order said this is for fiscal efficiency and financial integrity.
Governor's approval of state rules
Any state departments, agencies, and offices must get approval from the Governor when proposing new rules or regulations. The Governor said this is to prevent Arkansans and businesses from unnecessary regulatory requirements.
Audit of previous executive orders
The Inspector General will do an exhaustive review of all previously issued executive orders. Then, there will be recommendations on updating and modifying them as needed. The audit must be done within 90 days.
Update Arkansas's Unemployment Insurance Program
The Secretary of Commerce will go through the Unemployment Insurance Program to verify applicant eligibility to reduce fraud.
Prohibit Critical Race Theory
The Secretary of Education will review the rules and policies of the Department of Education to identify anything that would promote the teaching of CRT, or any other ideologies that discriminate against someone's race, ethnicity, sex, age, or religion. The Secretary will then amend or remove those policies.
Ban TikTok from government devices
In 90 days, government officials will be banned from downloading TikTok on any state-issued device, including computers, tablets, and phones. There will be a review of devices to make sure there are no safety risks to the security of the state.
Remove "Latinx" from state documents
All state agencies will remove the term "Latinx" from official documents. It will be replaced with the terms, "Hispanic," "Latino," "Latina," etc.
Education reform plan
Governor Sanders' has a comprehensive plan for education reform in Arkansas that includes, improving literacy, expanding childhood education, expanding charter school opportunities, and updating security precautions in schools.