Redistricting plan proposed that divides Sebastian County (Updated)

An opponent of the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" Congressional redistricting plan is promoting an alternative map that divides several counties, but keeps major cities in existing districts.

Also, State Senators prepared to make a move to push their versions of Congressional redistricting through a Senate panel.

Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, a staunch opponent of the controversial map, is floating a redistricting plan that will move most of Sebastian County into the Fourth District, but keep Fort Smith in the 3rd District.

Lindsey said his proposal would also split Pope County while keeping Russellville in the Third District. White and Jefferson counties would also be halved with Searcy staying in the Second District and Pine Bluff remaining in the Fourth District.

Ideal Congressional District sizes would entail 731,557 residents in each of the four districts. Arkansas’ 1st and 4th Districts need to gain about 50,000 and 75,000 citizens respectively. The 2nd District needs to lose about 15,000, and the 3rd Congressional District must jettison around 110,000 residents.

The redistricting work is being handled by the State Agencies Committee of the Arkansas House and Senate.

Lindsey said he did not expect the plan to run unless HB 1836 by Rep. Clark Hall’s, D-Marvell, "Fayetteville to the Fourth" plan is derailed.

"It may give a different alternative look or option that might at some time come into play. It’s not a compromise plan," Lindsey tells Talk Business.

In the Senate State Agencies Committee, two potential Congressional redistricting bills were expected to run this afternoon (Mar. 29).

The city of Fort Smith and the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce have both sent resolution to legislative leaders asking to remain in the 3rd District. The chamber noted in its resolution that “the City of Fort Smith and Sebastian County have significantly more geographic, cultural, political and social connections with Northwest Arkansas and the other counties of the Third Congressional District than it does with areas of the Fourth Congressional District.”

The chamber opposes Lindsey’s map which separates Fort Smith from Sebastian County with respect to Congressional redistricting.

“We want to keep all of Sebastian County in the (3rd) District. It’s not just a Fort Smith thing,” Harvel said Tuesday afternoon.

The chamber sent an e-mail to its members asking them to contact members of the House State Agencies Committee and tell the members they oppose any plan that pulls Sebastian County out of the 3rd Congressional District.

“We will lose momentum regarding our ongoing projects if moved to the fourth congressional district,” noted the e-mail.

Fort Smith City Administrator Ray Gosack says the resolution approved by the city board advocated for Fort Smith and Sebastian County remaining in the 3rd District.

“We see it as the entire county is an inseparable part of the 3rd Congressional,” Gosack explained.

He also said Lindsey’s proposed map excludes areas of Chaffee Crossing and areas that are in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

“That would be somewhat of a concern, that parts of Fort Smith’s growth area will be in the Fourth District,” he said.