Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas was mocked on social media over the weekend for a portrait that referred to her as the state’s “govenor.”
A photo of the portrait, which shows a smiling Ms Sanders above the words “ARKANSAS GOVENOR,” first surfaced on Twitter on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, USA Today columnist Michael Stern tweeted it to his 27,000-plus followers.
“Sarah Huckabee Sanders, educating Arkansas,” Mr Sterm wrote. “And we wonder why the GOP are destroying the minds of our children. Someone please tell her how to spell ‘governor.’”
Other observers enjoyed the gaffe.
“This is the perfect way to end my night,” one Twitter user wrote above the photo.
“I mean, they had one job,” another Twitter user named James Rubec commented.
It is not entirely clear who produced the portrait or where the image of it was taken.
Ms Sanders is in her first term as Arkansas governor, having been elected in a landslide last November. The former White House press secretary was cast back into the national spotlight when she was chosen to give the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address earlier this month.
In that speech, Ms Sanders addressed legislation she is pushing in the Arkansas state legislature to dramatically overhaul the state’s education system — giving students vouchers to use to attend private school or be homeschooled and increasing teachers’ starting salaries by $14,000.
The bill, known as the LEARNS Act, would also make it easier for teachers to be fired by repealing the state’s Fair Teacher Dismissal Act. Democrats have filed amendments to the bill that would preserve some amount of job protection for teachers, but the bill as a whole is currently expected to pass the state’s Republican-dominated legislature.
Arkansas is among the least educated states in the country and has one of the lowest average teacher salaries as well, though it is in the middle of the pack when teacher pay is adjusted for cost-of-living.
The LEARNS Act could be a legacy-defining bill for Ms Sanders, who is following in her father Mike Huckabee’s foosteps as Arkansas governor.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments