Administration saved $118M, Gov. Sanders says
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Screenshot: Arkansas Forward
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Wednesday her administration verified $118 million in savings and efficiencies through Arkansas Forward and announced a public dashboard to track the initiative.
Why it matters: The website is the administration's attempt to show the public its progress toward the $300 million in savings or avoided spending by 2030 that was projected when the effort was detailed in a December 2024 report.
Flashback: Arkansas Forward was the result of a plan the state developed with consultant McKinsey & Co. that includes more than 300 different initiatives in 15 of the state's departments to cut government spending.
- Key areas included information technology, procurement, vehicle fleets, government buildings and renegotiating contracts for better pricing.
State of play: Sanders said savings included items like cutting unused phone and fax lines, moving Department of Corrections community supervision payments away from money orders and renegotiating a Department of Human Services child welfare information support contract.
- The site offers more examples, explanations for how the savings are calculated and a downloadable spreadsheet detailing more than 80 items the state says have been cut or optimized.
- The announcement follows a February executive order, also framed as part of Arkansas Forward, aimed at speeding state permitting and licensing reviews.
By the numbers: Secretary of Shared Administrative Services Leslie Fisken said the $118 million reflects about $69 per taxpayer.
What they're saying: "We are confident that Arkansas Forward will deliver at least $300 million in savings, and then blow right past that number," Sanders said at a news conference.
The bottom line: Sanders said the dashboard includes both direct savings and cost avoidance, such as added services at no additional cost.
- One example she cited was a Department of Human Services contract that added $5.2 million in services without increasing the contract price.