City Offers Something to Cluck About

Springdale is uniquely positioned among Arkansas’ largest cities to go from worst to among the first when it comes to state legislative representation.

Thanks to the redrawing of state legislative districts this year, the number of Arkansas House and Senate boundaries that will intersect or come very close to Springdale will grow from three to seven — including that city’s new District 8 Senate seat.

Only the greater Little Rock area will have more seats in state government.

The next session, slated for 2003, is still a ways off. But a special session could still be called for the first of the year. Either way, America’s poultry capital is about to become Northwest Arkansas’ political center.

That should mean more clout for Springdale companies both in Little Rock and on the mountain. That is, as long as business rallies around candidates who will work for their constituencies instead of electing local Don Quixotes who chase the windmills of federal hot buttons.

Issues such as worker shortages, energy and environmental concerns, tax incentives for business, education funding formulas and most importantly — educating Arkansas’ workforce — are the realities that affect local employers and tax payers.

Springdale, with a population of about 45,000, now has state representative districts 92 through 95, 97 and much of 89. The rest of the Third Congressional District Caucus’ pecking order goes like this:

Fayetteville will have four state reps, serving districts 88, some of 89, 92 and 97, and one senator to make a legislative contingent of five. Bella Vista (District 98) has its own representative.

Rogers and Bentonville basically get 1.5 reps each (Districts 100, 99 and 96) because Interstate-540 serves as a boundary line that bisects those cities. They’ll share a senator, too.

Other areas with the most representation include the Democratic strongholds of Pine Bluff, which has six (four reps, two senators) and Hot Springs’ with four (three reps, one senator).

From a business perspective, having the maximum amount of legislative exposure ought to well-position Springdale firms for the future. How their officials perform once they reach the Legislature, will determine whether the city actually goes from being seen as “the chicken house” to a political powerhouse.