Steele Pushing Black Caucus To Join Another Redistricting Plan

The leader of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus says he does not plan to bring his own Congressional redistricting plan in the 2011 session.

Rep. Tracy Steele (D-North Little Rock) said he and other caucus members have played with a number of map scenarios for the better part of a week and expect to join with another legislative plan for Congressional redistricting.

"Right now, we’re in the compromise stage looking at all of the plans to see which one we can live with, which one we have an opportunity to make progress with," Steele tells Talk Business. Steele said he did not plan to amend a plan onto his shell bill for redistricting.

Steele said that he even played with moving Jefferson County into the Second Congressional District and it didn’t move the minority performance far above 30%.

"Such a major move, we thought it would be a greater shift, but as they say: the numbers don’t lie," Steele said.

Steele said he also thinks that Black Caucus members are on board with taking the Fourth District up into northwest Arkansas.

"We’re at the point where to say that we’re going to support an existing plan that’s out there," he added.  Talk Business recently reported on other redistricting plans that have been floated to members for consideration.  You can access at this link.