House approves ‘Fayetteville to the Fourth’ redistricting plan (Updated)

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

A controversial Congressional redistricting plan — the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" map — today (Mar. 30) cleared the Arkansas House of Representatives on a party line vote of 52-46. The bill needed 51 votes for passage and now goes to the State Senate for consideration.

Rep. Eddie Cheatham, D-Crossett, said redistricting has been a difficult process, but HB 1322, which contains the outline of the plan, is a map that meets the best interests of all concerned.

"We think this is the best map we can come up with. It’s kind of like lava. It goes where it wants to go. We went with what we thought we could pass," Cheatham said in explaining the split county nature of the map.

Cheatham and co-sponsor Rep. Clark Hall, D-Marvell, substantially changed the map on Wednesday to accommodate the final votes needed to gain passage in the House.

Following are the votes of members of the Arkansas House of Representatives who represent parts of the Fort Smith metro area.
• FOR the “Fayetteville to the Fourth” redistricting plan
Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith
Rep. Leslee Milam Post, D-Ozark

• AGAINST the “Fayetteville to the Fourth” redistricting plan
Rep. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith
Rep. Gary Deffenbaugh, R-Van Buren
Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris
Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork
Rep. Stephanie Malone, R-Fort Smith
Rep. Terry Rice, R-Fort Smith
Rep. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch

PLAN OPPOSITION
Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, spoke against the measure during the floor debate.

"I know that partisan redistricting is a principle of Congressional redistricting, but it’s not supposed to be the only thing," said Collins. "If you force this down our throats, you will be overplaying your hand. … Passage of this plan opens the door to the next legislature to change it."

Others chimed in on Collins’ position opposing the plan.

Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, said, "My friends, this map that you saw yesterday afternoon tears our community apart. … If enacted, I think this map could cost us the economic opportunity not just for our region, but the entire state."

Rep. Tim Summers, R-Bentonville, said the map was "nothing but partisan politics."

"I’m disappointed in the process, I’m disappointed in leadership," Summers said.

PLAN SUPPORT
Other House members said that despite their problems with the map, they felt the map was fair.

Rep. Tiffany Rogers, D-Stuttgart, said, "We are a state, we are the state of Arkansas and we need to learn how to work and play well with others." She told a story about her husband, a retired judge. "When he would come home from a difficult day, he would say he must have done his job today because no one was happy."

Rep. Hank Wilkins, D-Pine Bluff, said he was "torn exceedingly" by the map, but voting for it "is the right thing to do."

SENATE ACTION
In the morning hour, State Senators considered several redistricting maps, including the House version of the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" plan. It failed to clear the Senate State Agencies Committee as did an altered map presented by Sen. Johnny Key, R-Mountain Home.

Several attempts to pass a plan through the Senate panel have failed in the last week. After this morning’s meeting, Key and Sen. Robert Thompson, D-Paragould, said that the Senate did not have to complete its redistricting business by a self-imposed Friday, April 1 deadline.

Both suggested that an extension resolution, which sets the departure date of the 88th General Assembly, allows for legislators to come back into session before they officially adjourn to handle Congressional redistricting.

Thompson also said that he hoped the 4 Republicans and 4 Democrats on the Senate State Agencies Committee could come to an agreement on redistricting and avoid the full Senate pulling a plan out of committee.

"That would be a last resort," Thompson said.