Dems, GOP respond to Congressional redistricting plan
by March 31, 2011 3:46 pm 102 views
The Democratic Party of Arkansas and the Arkansas Republican Party kicked out press releases Thursday afternoon following the approval in the Arkansas House of Representatives of the “Fayetteville to the Fourth” Congressional redistricting plan.
The 52-46 vote was almost straight down party lines.
DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE
Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Will Bond released the following statement concerning House Bill1322, which passed the Arkansas House of Representatives today:
“The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a Congressional redistricting today that is fair and addresses the population mandates outlined by law.”
“Since the Third District has gained the most population and the Fourth District has lost the greatest number in population, this is a commonsense and fair approach to balancing the change between the areas where the greatest change is happening.”
“This concept of extending the Fourth District to Fayetteville is not the most extreme right or left plans floating around, but a logical and fair compromise to do what has to be done under the law and considering population shifts.”
REPUBLICAN RESPONSE
Today, House Democrats shoved House Bill 1836, the “Pig Trail Gerrymander” or “Fayetteville Finger”, through the Arkansas House despite overwhelming opposition from concerned citizens, Democrats and Republicans alike.
“The State Democratic Party’s unprincipled gerrymandering of our state’s congressional districts demonstrates their unwillingness to responsibly represent the people of Arkansas,” Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Doyle Webb said. “The Pig Trail Gerrymander does not respect our state’s regional communities of interest and will devastate the continuity of Northwest Arkansas.”
An independent poll commissioned by The Tolbert Report on Monday revealed that nearly 82 percent of Fayetteville voters oppose the State Democratic Party’s gerrymandering of Fayetteville into the Fourth Congressional District. On Wednesday, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce President Steve Clark called on city lawmakers, Sen. Madison and Rep. Leding, to resign if they support the so-called “Fayetteville Finger” map.
Today, Democrat Rep. Lindsey of Fayetteville told members that including his hometown in the Fourth Congressional District “tears our community apart, it divides us, potentially rendering us unable to speak together with a common voice.”
“Arkansas Democrats will stop at nothing in their attempt to exercise an iron grip on the people of this state,” Webb said. “We hope our Senators will stand up for the people of Arkansas and reject the Democratic Party’s partisan power grab.”