WASHINGTON / ANNISTON, Ala. — President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal agencies to "prioritize American values in all regulatory decisions." Several Calhoun County residents confirmed they had been prioritizing American values for years and did not require a federal directive to continue.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I've been doing this since the nineties," said Barbara Connell of Anniston, who was asked about the executive order at a Piggly Wiggly on Noble Street. "I don't need a form about it."

The executive order, which runs to approximately four pages, instructs agency directors to evaluate proposed regulations for their compatibility with "core American values including individual liberty, economic freedom, and national sovereignty." It does not define these terms.

Connell said she supported individual liberty, economic freedom, and national sovereignty. She said she had not read the executive order but felt it was "probably fine."

Gerald Puckett, a retired schoolteacher from Oxford, said he had "mixed feelings." He supported the order's general direction, he said, but was unsure what it would change in practice.

"Things are pretty much how I like them already," Puckett said. "I'm not sure what it's for."

A third resident, who asked not to be named, said the order was "long overdue." When asked overdue since when, she said "a long time." She could not be more specific.

The executive order does not take effect immediately. Federal agencies have 90 days to submit compliance plans.

"That gives us time to see what it means," Connell said. She placed a box of saltine crackers in her cart and moved on.