Senate Panel Takes Up Congressional Redistricting (updated)

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.

You can view the map here.

"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.

UPDATE: SB 981 by Sen. Johnny Key was defeated in committee when it reconvened.

The vote was 4 votes in favor and 2 votes against. Sen. Madison once again abstained.

In an additional development, Rep. Clark Hall (D-Marvell), sponsor of the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" plan, says he will pull his bill off the House calendar this afternoon for purposes of an amendment.

When asked details about the amendment, Hall said he’d be in the House State Agencies Committee room upon adjournment of the House.