The Arkansas Board of Apportionment approved newly-drawn state House and state Senate maps on Monday, following a 30-day public comment period.
Over the past few months, The Board of Apportionment (consisting of the Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General) has been redrawing 100 House and 35 Senate districts so that each district meets various legal criteria including each district being about the same size in population. This redistricting is required by law once every ten years after the Federal Census. The Board of Apportionment only “redistricts” the Arkansas House and Senate (Legislative Seats), not Congressional Seats – that is the responsibility of the Arkansas General Assembly.
Governor Asa Hutchinson, as Chairman of the Board of Apportionment, last week recalled a meeting of the Board to consider the adoption of Arkansas State and House districts. The meeting came after the Board proposed maps to the public for an additional 30 days of public comment.
Governor Hutchinson first gathered the Board in May 2021 to analyze the incoming 2020 Census data in order to determine districts for the general assembly. They then reconvened in June to hold an executive session to consider and evaluate a redistricting coordinator.
In October, the Board met to consider proposed maps and open them to allow for public comment for 30 days.
To improve the transparency of the Board of Apportionment, a set of interactive proposed House and Senate district maps were put on the Board of Apportionment’s website, which allowed the public to input their home address and see street-level detail of the proposed districts. Any comments made were then added to the public record.
However, opponents of the newly approved maps claim that the redistricting is unfair, as it reduces the number of majority-minority districts from 17 to 14, and that the maps are “illegal and will be met with challenges in court and a costly legal battle for the state.”
“These new maps cheat Arkansas voters, and that’s intentional,” said Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Grant Tennille. “The maps are a clear example of racial gerrymandering. It’s hard to believe the Governor has the nerve to continue the parade of lies that this is a good thing for minority voters. It’s 2021, and Republican redistricting operatives in Arkansas voted to approve a 17.6 percent decrease in majority-minority districts.
“They cracked minority populations along the Delta, diluting Black votes and weakening Black incumbents along the Mississippi River and in South Arkansas— while also packing minority populations elsewhere. The board claims to have created the state’s first Latinx district; what they actually did was ignore that Springdale’s currently drawn downtown district has grown into a majority-Latinx district. These newly drawn maps are illegal. The people who drew them know it, and they know they’ll be headed to court.
“This process was a missed opportunity to start doing things right in Arkansas, to have fairly drawn maps that respect voters and their communities. Instead, we have yet another example of gerrymandering and voter suppression.”
To support their argument, Arkansas Democrats say The Board of Apportionment did make some minor changes to the maps, but “only to keep white voters and communities intact.”
Rep. David Fielding (D-Magnolia), Rep. David Tollett (R-Lexa), Rep. Mark McElroy (R-Tillar) previously represented majority-minority districts. The Districts drawn to represent these areas are not majority-minority districts.
New District 98 (Columbia, Lafayette, Nevada, Ouachita) – now 48.6 percent minority population
New District 94 (Desha, Drew, Bradley) – now 41.29 percent minority population
New District 95 (Chicot, Ashley) – now 40.9 percent minority population
Last month, Governor Hutchinson expressed concern about the maps.
“I am concerned about the impact of the redistricting plan on minority populations,” Hutchinson said.
“While the percentage of the minority composition of the proposed map for three of the four districts does not differ much from the current percentages, the removal of minority areas in Pulaski County into two different districts raises concerns. I have been contacted by many asking me to veto the legislation. I decided not to veto the bills but instead to let them go into law without my signature. This will enable those who wish to challenge this redistricting plan in court to do so.
In 1990, I was counsel in a case with the NAACP in which we challenged the congressional redistricting plan. While the court in that case determined the map did not violate the vote-dilution section of the Voting Rights Act and the plan did not constitute intentional discrimination, I learned from that experience the real concerns of the minority population about their equal opportunity to have an effective voice in elections. Fair and equitable maps are necessary for the integrity of our democratic society.”
The overall share of Democratic voters in Arkansas based on recent elections is approximately 35 percent. The newly drawn legislative districts only account for about 20 percent Democratic representation.
See the newly drawn State House and State Senate maps here: https://arkansasredistricting.