Poll: Sarah Huckabee Sanders' approval rating the lowest for an Arkansas governor in 20 years

Arkansans have the economy on the brain and are not sold on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Driving the news: The annual Arkansas Poll conducted by the political science department at the University of Arkansas came out this week.

Some key takeaways include:

• 36% of respondents said the economy is the most important issue facing people in Arkansas, followed by politicians and politics at 14%.
• 48% said they approve of Sanders — the lowest for any Arkansas governor since the 47% approval rating posted in 2003 by her father, Mike Huckabee.
• 36% said they are worse off financially this year compared to last year, while 45% said their financial situation is the same and 18% said it's better than last year.
• Most Arkansans — 61% — say the state is headed in the right direction.
• A growing share — 41% compared to 25% in 2016 — say climate change will pose a serious threat in their lifetime.

What they're saying: "A volatile economic and political environment is likely influencing some people's general sense of well-being — in Arkansas and elsewhere,"said Janine Parry, poll director and political science professor, in a U of A news release.

The intrigue: In two years, one-fifth of Arkansans have hopped over to saying they favor laws that ease the process of getting an abortion. In 2021, 18% of poll respondents said it should be easier. That jumped to 38% this year.

• Context: Arkansas' trigger law that nearly completely bans abortion went into effect in 2022 after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
• 29% of respondents say it should be harder to get an abortion, while 25% say nothing should change.

How it works: The poll was conducted Oct. 4-22 through 801 telephone — cell and landline — interviews with randomly selected adult Arkansans. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent, according to the University of Arkansas.