Sarah Huckabee Sanders will follow in her father, Mike Huckabee’s, footsteps by taking office as the next governor of Arkansas. Sanders is the first woman to hold the position.
President Trump endorsed the former White House press secretary on the campaign trail. Her vision for Arkansas involves phasing out the state income tax.
“We have to do it responsibly, but we do that by growing our own economy and cutting out the waste and the fraud and the abuse that exist in our government spending as it is now,” Sanders said in a debate.
At the time, her Democratic competitor, Chris Jones, pointed out concerns with this plan.
“You cannot eliminate 55 percent of the state revenue and then not cut something–unless you end up like Texas where property taxes go through the roof,” Jones said. “So what are we saying to our farmers? Or you end up like Florida where sales taxes go through the roof, or you end up like Kansas, where the educational system collapses.”
Education is another one of Sanders’s priorities, considering Arkansas has a C rating for overall education, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Her plan to address the issue includes expanding access to pre-K and providing reading coaches, and rewarding teachers with incentives, including higher pay.