The Board of Apportionment is redrawing Congressional districts based on new Census data.
The process of redistricting is progressing in Arkansas. Former Chief Justice Betty Dickey was appointed the Arkansas Board of Apportionment coordinator July 7. Now she and the board members have scheduled dates for eight hearings throughout the state.
Created in 1936 by Amendment 23 to the Arkansas Constitution, the Board of Apportionment consists of Governor Asa Hutchinson, Secretary of State John Thurston and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. During the next few months, the board will be redrawing 100 House and 35 Senate districts so each district meets various legal criteria, including that each district be about the same size in population.
This redistricting is required by law once every 10 years after the U.S. Census is complete. The board only redistricts the Arkansas House and Senate. Congressional seats are the responsibility of the Arkansas General Assembly.
“The board’s goals in redistricting are as follows: creating districts that are substantially equal in population, geographically contiguous and compact; preserving cores of existing districts and communities of interest; recognizing geographic bounders; and ensuring redistricting is not based on racial gerrymandering or political partisanship,” Justice Dickey said in a statement.
The upcoming hearings are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each evening at the following locations:
Thursday, July 29
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Fine Arts Center
371 University Dr.
Monticello, AR
Tuesday, Aug. 3
ASU Mountain Home
The Sheid
1600 S. College St.
Mountain Home, AR
Thursday, Aug. 5
Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies
Walmart Auditorium
1000 SE Eagle Way
Bentonville, AR
Tuesday, Aug. 10
U of A Hope-Texarkana
Hempstead Hall
2500 S. Main St.
Hope, AR
Thursday, Aug. 12
Phillips County Community College
Fine Arts Center – Community Room
1000 Campus Road
Helena, AR
Tuesday, Aug. 17
UAFS Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center
Reynolds Room
800 N. 50th St.
Fort Smith, AR
Thursday, Aug. 19
Embassy Suites by Hilton
Jonesboro Red Wolf Convention Center
223 Red Wolf Blvd.
Jonesboro, AR
Tuesday, Aug. 24
UA Little Rock
Jack Stephens Center
2801 S. University Ave.
Little Rock, AR
Comment forms will be provided at each meeting or one may be filled out online at arkansasredistricting.org. The hearings will also be livestreamed on AR-CAN at this link.