Gov. Sanders delivers State of State Address, state Democrats respond
95th General Assembly convenes in Little Rock
By the Times News Staff
news@theeveningtimes.com
LITTLE ROCK — Gov.
Sarah Sanders on Tuesday said she has worked hard in the past two years to deliver for Arkansans on a variety of issues.
The governor said she believes it will be a busy 2025 session.
During the State of the State Address in the House chamber, the governor spoke on several themes including education, prisons, public safety and empowering people as well as her legislative initiatives for the new session, which started Monday.
“When I took office, I was the youngest Governor in the country and I promised to bring a new generation of leadership. Over the past two years, Arkansas has been the vanguard of a national conservative revolution, which in just six days will put Presi-
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dent Trump back in the White House,” Sanders said. “But these victories don’t mean we can take our foot off the gas.
Today, I am here to renew my promise: for a new generation of leadership, for a new path forward for our state and for a new vision for Arkansas.”
The governor said she believes while the issues in people’s minds remain the same, work has been done in the state.
“When I took office two years ago, I was the youngest Governor in the country and as I love to remind my kids, that’s still the case! Although my youngest, George, recently heard me say it and replied, “You’re the youngest Governor, mom? The rest of them must be really, really old,” Sanders said. “Whether you think I’m way too young or really, really old, the results of our first two years speak for themselves: our economy is up, crime is down, education is improving, Arkansas is growing. The State of the State is very strong.”
Republicans have an 81-19 majority in the Arkansas House and a 29-6 majority in the Arkansas Senate.
Education/higher education Sanders also spoke about education, including a plan to improve the state’s higher education system called Arkansas ACCESS.
The governor said she believes the Arkansas LEARNS
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Act, which was passed by the legislature in the 2023 session, has been successful in helping children get an education, as well as helping teachers and parents alike.
“I hear from teachers who are now earning $50,000 a year for the first time in their life, or from the lifelong educator who earned thousands of dollars in a merit bonus for the great job she’s doing. And it’s not just the money – it’s feeling recognized for their work,” Sanders said.
“Or I hear from the parent whose child struggled with reading and is now getting the one-on-one attention he needs because of our high-impact tutoring grants. Or it’s from the parent who, seeing news from around the country, is so thankful for the investments we made in school security,” the governor noted.
As for higher education, the governor said her new initiative will help people like Tiffany String of White County.
“Tiffany String, who is here today, is one of those people.
Tiffany’s mom pulled her out of school just a few weeks into the sixth grade. She was married at 17 in her home state of Georgia, and then fourteen years later found herself in Beebe, Arkansas, with her husband and three kids.
Then, Tiffany’s life imploded.
Her husband walked out on their marriage, leaving her with three kids, hundreds of miles from her closest family, with no job and no car.”
The governor said String was able to get a job at Sonic, signed up for government assistance, got help from neighbors, found a bike and would bike her kids to school and to work every day.
String later earned a nursing degree at ASU-Beebe, works full time as a nurse in Searcy and will graduate in May with a RN degree and will go to work as a registered nurse.
The governor said String has stressed education to her children as a way to build a better life.
“Throughout it all, her sons – now 15, 12, and 12 – have seen a strength in their mom and what her determination and a good education can do.
They prayed over her and have been her biggest cheerleaders,” the Governor said.
As for Arkansas ACCESS, Sanders said she believes the initiative will be a key building block for the state’s future.
“Higher education can be the difference between a life of poverty and a life of success.
And it should be available to everyone, no matter their background,” Sanders said.
“That’s why today, I am announcing my plan to improve our state’s higher education system: Arkansas ACCESS.
Together, we will expand Arkansans’ access to higher education and non-degree credentials, whether their path comes straight after high school graduation, or many years down the line like Tiffany.”
The plan calls for making the application process easier by submitting one application, paying one fee and using the same application for any state-supported college or university in Arkansas.
The governor said she plans to look at higher education in other areas as well.
“Arkansas students go to our colleges and universities to learn, not to be bombarded with anti-American, historically illiterate, woke nonsense. We will make it so that any professor – tenured or not – that wastes time indoctrinating instead of educating can be terminated from their job.
We will address the skyrocketing cost of higher education
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by funding college credits while students are still in high school and expanding scholarships to associate’s degrees and non-degree credentials,” the Governor said. “And we will change our higher education funding model so that it puts state dollars behind all types of degrees: bachelor’s, associate’s and non-degree credentials.”
PUBLIC SAFETY, PRISONS, & TAXES
The governor also spoke about public safety and prisons during her address Tuesday.
She said work has been done on both issues.
“With the help of this body, we passed the Protect Act. Violent crime here in Little Rock is down and we are ending the catch-and-early-release of repeat violent offenders. We now have more State Troopers than we’ve had in a generation and through our new state pay plan, will raise their starting pay by nearly 20 percent,” Sanders said.
She also spoke about a visit to the Pathway to Freedom program at the Wrightsville prison in Pulaski County.
“After that visit, I received a letter from one of those inmates, whose clemency petition I had previously denied.
In his letter, he thanked me for denying his petition, because that meant he could participate in Pathway to Freedom. He said that because of the program, he will “be a better husband, father, and son.’,” Sanders said.
“Every inmate in Arkansas deserves access to programs like Pathway to Freedom. We will expand and require evidence- based programming in our prisons- but that can’t happen with our chronic prison bed shortage.”
The governor said she has worked to open almost 1,500 prison beds in existing facilities around the state, which has helped to ease burdens in county jails.
“And for the first time since my dad was in office, thanks to our close work with the legislature, we are expanding our prison system with plans for a new, 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County,” Sanders said.
The plan for the new prison has received opposition from residents and some lawmakers in Franklin County over the process.
At a press conference after the speech, state Democrats also questioned the project as well. 'When we first started, (the Franklin County prison) had a price tag of $300 million, and soon we were told this new prison was going to cost $470 million. Now, we're being told it may be at least THREE TIMES that, closer to $1.5 billion,' state Sen. Fred Love (D-Mabelvale) said in a media release. 'Arkansans… we all deserve better than this.'
Sen. Love also asked lawmakers to be cautious when looking at bills.
'Now, I'm going to ask you something. Where is the legislation that goes along with the priorities the Governor outlined today? Where are the bills,' Sen. Love said.
''Where are the bills? We cannot rush through legislation without a full discussion.
Not again.'
As for other issues, the governor said she will work with the legislature to get rid of the state’s grocery tax and has cut income taxes in the state by one percent in at least three legislative sessions, putting more money into people's pockets.
However, State Rep. Andrew Collins (D-Little Rock) countered that the tax cuts have been geared toward wealthier Arkansans.
'When we cut that top tax rate, that makes it more difficult for us to find the resources for other important priorities, including tax relief for working families who need it,' Rep. Collins said at the press conference.
DEMOCRATS RESPOND
Earlier this week, Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Grant Tennille said he believes his party will have a strong legislative agenda this year.
“Arkansas Democrats may just be the toughest legislative caucus in the country. That’s why during this session, Democrats will continue fighting to make Arkansas better. Our 2025 Better Arkansas Agenda features nearly 40 different bills that would tackle mental health, defend democracy, strengthen public education, and take Arkansas from worst-to-first in maternal health. It’s time to pass them,” Tennille said.
“Meanwhile, the extreme GOP supermajority offers more government-as-usual.
They have spent millions of tax dollars on private, expensive underground tunnels and worked to repeal transparency laws in the Natural State.
Their priority, consistently, is to give handouts to the wealthiest Arkansans and give crumbs to the folks who are struggling to get by,” Tennille said.
Tennille also said he believes
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the opposition party is trying to hide things in the state Capitol and that his party can get things done.
“The GOP doesn’t want you to know what they’re doing in the State Capitol. That’s exactly why it’s never been more important for Arkansans to tune in,” Tennille said.
“The Democratic legislators who took their oaths today look like Arkansas. Our caucus includes public school teachers like Rep. Tippi Mc-Cullough, Rep. Jesse Mc-Gruder, and now, the first Latina to ever serve in the Arkansas State House, Rep.
Diana Gonzales Worthen. Democrats are faith leaders like Rep. Glenn Barnes & Sen.
Jamie Scott, and local leaders like Hughes Mayor Rep. Lincoln Barnett and Sen. Reginald Murdock. Our Democratic legislators are talented professionals like Rep. Nicole Clowney & Rep. Steve “Doc” Magie, and so many others who have worked their entire careers to make Arkansas better.”
SANDERS HONORS SHERIFF
During the address Tuesday, Gov. Sanders also honored Dallas County Sheriff Mike Knoedl with the Arkansas Medal of Freedom for his work in the aftermath of the Fordyce grocery store shooting last year. 'When a tragedy like this happens in small-town Arkansas, it's personal. These victims weren't just citizens in Mike's county; they were his neighbors and friends,' Gov.
Sanders said. 'He knew them by name. For him to have found the energy and courage to lead his community after this terrible event shows the strength, the courage and the faith of this great hero.'
