Sarah Huckabee Sanders seems determined to crash and burn just like Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis.
The Arkansas governor is turning her state into a mini-Florida, one hateful law at a time. Since being elected, the politico “nepo-baby” has already signed her own “Don’t Say Gay” bill and appointed Jacob Oliva, the man responsible for crafting the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Florida, to lead her education department.
Then on Saturday, we found out that Arkansas is warning school districts to not offer an Advanced Placement class for African-American studies, even though students have already enrolled in the course. The state says it will only offer the class for “local credit.”
“That appears to mean that the state will not help students at six high schools pay the $98 fee to take the end-of-course A.P. exam, which is necessary if students wish to earn college credit for the class,” reports the New York Times.
Monday was the first day of school in Arkansas.
In March, Sanders signed legislation that prohibits “teaching that would indoctrinate students with ideologies,” including critical race theory.
Earlier this year, DeSantis went to war with The College Board over the same African-American studies course, saying it violates state law. The gay-hating governor signed the “Stop WOKE Act” in 2022, which restricts how schools can facilitate discussion around race, sexuality and gender.
In response, The College Board tempered certain parts of the curriculum, before pledging the change to the course again.
On Monday, The College Board said it’s “surprised, confused and disappointed” with Arkansas’ decision to bar the class in question from public high schools.
Arkansas is following Ron DeSantis’ lead in “education” by rejecting AP African American History. I presume they will follow that up with adding PragerU material to the curriculum, as Florida has.
— Never Trump – Never Again! (@NeverTrumpNeve1) August 13, 2023
While Sanders refuses to endorse her former boss, Donald Trump, for president, she’s developed a close relationship with DeSantis. Last year, Sanders attended DeSantis’ retreat for his prominent donors and some fellow governors, and has gotten close to his wife, Casey.
Much like DeSantis, Sanders has centered her governorship around demonizing LGBTQ+ people and marginalized communities. She’s signed a law barring transgender teachers and students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities, and banned use of the gender-neutral term “Latinx” in state documents.
In addition, she’s signed an effective book ban that threatens up to a year in prison for any librarian or bookseller caught supplying kids with “harmful” (read: LGBTQ+) material. Last year, DeSantis became the first GOP governor to enact laws making it easier for parents to challenge books in school libraries they deem “inappropriate.”
But that law, like many of DeSantis’ draconian edicts, is being challenged in court. And a similar tale is unfolding in Arkansas.
Earlier this month, a U.S. district judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping Sanders’ law in its tracks.
There are a wide array of issues in Arkansas. It is the fourth poorest state in the nation, with a mounting affordable housing crisis and massive food insecurity. A recent Scholaroo survey found the state ranks 49th in the nation for quality of life and 50th in the nation for quality of health.
Yet, instead of helping her constituents, Sanders is fighting culture wars and weighing in on topics such as Hunter Biden.
In other words, she’s following DeSantis’ playbook to a tee, which doesn’t seem very smart! His support in the Republican primary continues to crater, and now even his closest allies are ripping him to shreds.
With reported presidential ambitions of her own, Sanders would be wise to change course. Maybe she can start by offering an AP class that students are counting on.
Arkansas is following the path of Florida – lowering the quality of Education for it’s populace.
— Powerbeard (@thePowerbeard) August 13, 2023
It’s weird watching an entire PARTY try to out-scumbag one another.
— gmeister (@gmeister) August 14, 2023
Priceless.
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Fahd
That “only for local credit” BS should be challenged in the courts. I think officials must have a lot of discretion in these matters, but not enough to discriminate based on race. Meanwhile, wouldn’t it be nice if an organization or some wealthy individuals stepped forward to cover the $98 cost for any student who completes the course – if necessary the exams could be offered at off school sites.
abfab
She should be taken to court! Awful, wretched witch.
….and I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free……
WHAT F U C K I N G BULLSHIT. Take that honky song and shove it up you ass, Sarah.
tennman
She’s so scared of her own sexuality that she tries to do everything to appear as a straight woman. You can wear a little makeup and put on a dress but you are still a lesbian
abfab
I doubt the Lesbians want her and hope she remains an asexual, androgenous, taky spinster.
LumpyPillows
There is a lot wrong with this attack. Misogynistic and hateful. And I don’t even like her.
Kangol2
tennman, this comes off as homophobic and lesbophobic, and misogynistic. Please don’t attack our (my?) lesbian sisters to criticize this soulless, right-wing hack.
Kangol2
abfab, Mrs. Smoky Eye acts as if thinks she’s the Queen Femme of the Arkansas GOP. Don’t forget, she does have a husband and three Huckabeast Sanders spawn.
abfab
People are just looking for honesty and authenticity more than anything.
-Sarah Huckabee Sanders
abfab
@kangol2 She points.
When it comes to role models, as a person of faith, I think we all have one perfect role model. And when I’m asked that question, I point to God and to my faith. And that’s where I tell my kids to look.
-Sarah Huckabee Sanders
abfab
This is so cruel. Imagine how sad the families of young children must be. Knowing they really don’t matter that much anymore. Again.
Gay Thomas
The fat, ugly hag is pissed no woman would have her.
abfab
One can only wonder what she managed to waste her time on in Europe. Although rumor has it she is fluent seven languages…..
DBMC
This is 98% of the Republican Party. Every few years they target the LGBTQ+ community to get their bigoted base all riled up. But even the few who aren’t actual homophobes will use homophobia, or certainly won’t fight against it.
Even people like Meghan McCain, who claimed to be such an ally would vote for anti-gay politicians.
Mack
This is the Republicans. They can’t win on their business model so they have to win on hate.
abfab
The Bible as business model. Now there’s a thing.
They have nothing but hate. Right you are. And guns. They have guns. Right you are @Mack.
Kangol2
A few points: Arkansas would not exist as we know it without chattel slavery and decades of brutal, racial segregation. It’s unlikely the Huckabeasts would have risen to the position they have had that state had some semblance of racial equality a hundred+ years ago. This is the truth that Huckabeast and racists like her do not want children to learn. They want to avoid teaching about and discussing the long, ugly history, before and after the US Civil War, for fear that young people may ask questions about their parents’ and ancestors’ roles in it and decide they don’t EVER want to go back to a world like that.
Second, Huckabeast and her ilk want to foment anti-gay and anti-trans hysteria. They have no concrete plans to improve the lives of most people in their state (Arkansas has tended not to be in the top quartile in any positive economic or social indicators), and are usually in office to help corporations, billionaires and multimillionaires, and themselves and their families. She also readily and eagerly lied for Don the Con, so any Arkansan should take what she says with a grain of salt. Just as importantly, she and her right-wing GQP ilk HATE the US Constitution and do not believe in free speech, as all their speech and teaching bans, etc. underline. They are afraid of free speech and project these fears onto liberals.
Ask yourself: if conservative ideas were so compelling, why do these people keep trying to use the law to impose them and ban competing ideas based in facts, history, archives, documentation, etc.? Why are they constantly calling everyone else a snowflake and screaming about cancel culture, when that’s exactly what they do whenever they get into power? Why are they so beholden to fear and hysteria? Why do they lie so much?
abfab
After the dust settled post 9/11, they refocused on us. Muslim terrorist foment took a rest and we became the old scapegoats again.
I hope they spend as muchtime and energy on preventing another 9/11 style attack. But if they don’t, and it happens again, which it will, we will no longer be their focus. Until then, we’re the terrorists.
Imagine that….little ole us!
LumpyPillows
Sarah is actually pretty smart. She had a shot at being taken seriously nationally. At least I thought so. Her continued pettiness as governor has proven me wrong; not that I would ever support her regardless. Of course I said some similar things about Liz Cheney…and I’ve since made a donation to her – I think of it as enemy of my enemy cash.
Kangol2
Nothing about this woman has ever struck me as “smart.” Listening to her when she was Don the Con’s press secretary suggested that she was about as bright (or less so) than a hitching post, but just as ready as him to spew lies.
Being from a Nepo Baby from a prominent Arkansas political family gave her every boost she’s needed in life. Were she not Mike Huckabee’s daughter I doubt she’d be Arkansas governor right now. She actually makes Liz Cheney look like Marie Curie in the smarts department, and without being generous.
abfab
Well, he did say pretty smart. Not smart, but pretty smart, actually pretty smart. Oh, brother.
LumpyPillows
I thought she was masterful at selling his lies. The way she could twist facts was stunning. I mean, totally evil, but displayed an intellect to be able to do it.
Kangol2
Lumpy, point granted. That definitely was one of her skills, selling Don the Con’s lies!
abfab
She displayed an intellect? Jeeze you guys have lost your minds and your short term memories.
LumpyPillows…
”I thought she was masterful at selling his lies.” Lumpy dear, selling lies might be masterful? The ”masterful” comes into play if you actually get people to buy them. Did you buy the them?
LumpyPillows
I didn’t buy them, but millions did.