Arkansas lawmakers took the final steps on Wednesday in approving a convoluted new Congressional map, a move that paved the way for the formal end to the 88th General Assembly.
The 94-day legislative session saw major reforms made in sentencing and prisons as well as tax cuts beyond the scope of Gov. Mike Beebe’s request.
The final two weeks of the session were dominated by work on Congressional redistricting, which proved to be a daunting task for a legislative body with the most partisan diversity in modern history.
On Wednesday, the Senate and House finished approving technical corrections to HB 1836, the map plan that pulled a major rural portion of the Third Congressional District into the Fourth, while also carving up sections of 5 counties.
HB 1836 and its companion bill, SB 972, now head to Beebe for signature.
Lawmakers will return on April 27 to officially sine die, or adjourn, formally concluding their session business.
