Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the former White House press secretary, and her father, Mike Huckabee, was the 44th governor of Arkansas.

Shannon Longworth Reporter

Sarah Huckabee Sanders could phase out state income tax as Arkansas governor

Nov 28, 2022

Shannon Longworth Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Reporter), Dan Reardon (Editor)

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.

Tags: 2022 Elections, Arkansas, Donald Trump

SHANNON LONGWORTH: SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS. WHY DOES THAT NAME SOUND FAMILIAR? SHE WAS THE PRESS SECRETARY FOR FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

WITH HER OLD BOSS’S ENDORSEMENT, SANDERS IS FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER, MIKE HUCKABEE’S, FOOTSTEPS TO BECOME GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS.

AND SHE’S THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD THE POSITION.

AS ONE OF 9 NEW STATE GOVERNORS ENTERING 2023, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

HER VISION FOR ARKANSAS INVOLVES PHASING OUT THE STATE INCOME TAX.

SANDERS: “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.”

LONGWORTH: HER DEMOCRATIC COMPETITOR POINTED OUT CONCERNS WITH THIS PLAN DURING THE ELECTION.

CHRIS JONES: “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. 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.”

LONGWORTH: 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.