Congressional redistricting maps change again

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

After days of negotiations and partisan criticism, Rep. Clark Hall, D-Marvell, and Rep. Eddie Cheatham, D-Crossett, reworked a Congressional District map with an amendment to a new shell bill.

HB 1322 was amended to include the latest plan to redraw district lines.

The new Congressional map keeps the controversial shift of moving the city of Fayetteville into the Fourth Congressional District. It also deviates greatly from a previous map with a number of new shifts. They include:
• Moving Drew County back into the Fourth

• Moving Lonoke County into the Second and adding White County in the First

• Splitting Van Buren County

• Moving the Garland County portion of Hot Springs Village back into the Fourth

• Adding a rural portion of southeastern Pope County into the Second

• Leaving Mountain Home in the First, but moving northern and southern sections of Baxter County into the Third

• Moving Franklin County back into the Third, but adding southern Madison County into the Fourth in order to gain access to Fayetteville

The bill passed out of House State Agencies this afternoon on a 12-8 party line vote. Democrats hold 12 seats on the influential committee.

When presenting the bill to the committee, Rep. Cheatham said the accommodations were made address concerns raised since the first map was presented.

"You’re going to make someone happy, someone mad," Cheatham said. "We felt like this would be the best route to go."

After the meeting, Rep. Hall was asked if the bill was presented to make Congressional Districts more advantageous for Democrats.

"I’m trying to draw a map that gives a fair representation to all citizens in the state of Arkansas," Hall said.

Hall said he would try another alternative map if this one did not succeed in the House. He expects to bring it up for consideration on Thursday.

SENATE ACTION
State Senators took up a Congressional redistricting plan posed as an alternative to the House-led "Fayetteville to the Fourth" map.

SB 942 by Sen. Bill Pritchard (R-Elkins) would redraw Congressional District lines similar to a measure by Rep. Andrea Lea (R-Russellville), which was defeated last week in the House State Agencies Committee.

"No one going to be completely happy with the final map," Pritchard said in his presentation.

Like other maps that have been presented in the House, Pritchard’s map has a low deviation rate, less than 1%.

Desha County Judge Mark McElroy argued against Pritchard’s plan and asked for southeast Arkansas counties currently in the Fourth District to be moved into the First.

"Nobody likes change," McElroy said. "When my wife moves the recliner, I get angry."

Pritchard’s plan failed to make it out of the Senate State Agencies Committee on a vote of 4 yes votes and 2 no votes. It needed 5 votes to pass the committee. Committee chair Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, did not vote. The committee, which is comprised of 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans, plans to meet at noon today to consider a plan proposed by Sen. Johnny Key, R-Mountain Home.

Afterwards, Pritchard said he thought his plan was fairer than the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" plan, which he contends makes the First District more advantageous for Democrats by shifting Baxter County to the Third.

SB 981 by Sen. Key was defeated in committee when it reconvened. The vote was 4 votes in favor and 2 votes against. Sen. Madison once again abstained.