Following her inauguration on Tuesday, new Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued four executive orders. Two orders deal with state spending and two deal with bureaucratic control.
The first executive order was an immediate hiring and promotion freeze for state employees. This repeals Executive Order No. 15-01 and freezes the hiring of new employees and terminates all ongoing hiring processes. This will force state entities to stop from filling vacant positions.
The second executive order places more restrictions and hurdles for people filing for unemployment. This includes additional reviews for claims filed from a single IP address or mailing address, more strict verification for out-of-state applicants, and “other measures or methods that the Secretary deems effective and efficient”.
Gov. Huckabee Sanders signed two orders dealing with state government rules. The first is to reduce rules and regulations by requiring the legislative branch committees submit rule changes to the Governor for approval and repeals Executive Order No. 15-02.
The final order orders the Arkansas Inspector General to review all previously issued Executive Orders to b e completed within 90 days. This includes current and revoked orders, orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an analysis of how those orders “may impact the rights and liberties of Arkansans”.
