House State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs Committee
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Bills discussed (1)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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SB972
· 4 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SB972”
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Pre-2017 bill |
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Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
0:00
Are you ready, committee members, if you would, please take your seats and let's get started here. We have an amendment to, a House amendment to Senate Bill 972. Representative McLean, are you
Representative James McLean
Unverified
0:19
ready to present the amendment? Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. This is amendment number one to Senate Bill 972. On page 1 of Senate Bill 972, the deletions are lines 33 and 34.
Substitute for those are D, 57 Belmont Voting District, E would be P, 91 Roberts Voting District. The additions are F and G, P, 851, the Humphrey Voting District, and P, 862, Humphrey Voting District. These are cleaning up some discrepancies in the map, and these are additions to the map that we voted on earlier today. Any questions from the committee? What's
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
0:59
the will of the committee?
Representative Roebuck, if it makes a due pass motion, all in favor say aye. We've adopted the amendment. Any opposed? Motion passed. We've adopted the amendment. Representative Cheatham, would you be kind to explain the bill, the Senate bill, which mirrors the House bill that you ran yesterday? And get back to your seat before you vote.
Speaker 9
1:40
No lollygagging. That's right. If there's members here
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
1:47
who someone would like to speak against this or for this, we
need them to come up and sign the sheet, the sign-in sheet. Representative Cheatham, you're
ready to explain the Senate bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
2:08
committee. I really won't spend a lot of detail.
I think you've had a chance since yesterday to look at this. It's the same map that you saw this morning in the House as we discussed that, her testimony far and against that bill. There's a lot of things I could say. As we said in the House this morning, any time we make a change, we make someone happy and someone sad, unfortunately it happens.
This has been a work of a group of people that have tried for the last two months to get a consensus of a map. And this map, even though, to be honest, it's not my favorite map, we don't all get what we want, but it is consensus that this map is one that will be able to go through the system and become what we actually use in the state when we draw our district lines. As I said before, you know, this is probably the third or fourth map that I've been involved with in running.
I've probably seen 50 or 60 maps, and there's probably been over 100 or more drawn. Again, it's unfortunate that some dear friends of mine are in situations they would not want to be in, but unfortunately, as we all know, we cannot make everyone happy. Mr. Chairman, I'd be willing to entertain questions if
Speaker 11
3:37
there are any available from the committee. Representative Lee.
Speaker 14
3:43
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know, really.
It would be the second one I've done, wouldn't it? Representative Cheatham, when did you discover the problem with Jefferson County? With
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
3:56
Jefferson County, I was notified to ask about it this morning. But
when I, as a matter of fact, one of our committee members came to me and had seen something on a Twitter and brought it to my attention. On a Twitter? Something. Okay. They have to ask Mr. Duncan about that, but wherever he saw it. But when that was discovered, people were already working on it.
People in the leadership were made aware of it earlier than that, and they were addressing the problem when we went back to check on it. Did you use the same map drawer when you drew this one as you did the last one you
Speaker 14
4:33
presented, the one the House passed? I have not drawn a map. I have not been involved in drawing the
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
4:38
maps. I have input into it, but I have not drawn any of the maps. Who did you use to draw this one?
Speaker 14
4:45
I did not use any one. MS. Okay. Who drew this map?
Speaker 23
4:52
Who made this that's sitting in front of us?
Speaker 24
4:55
MR. I really cannot answer that. MR. Representative Lee,
Ivy Owen
Unverified
4:57
this is a Senate bill and their map. You'd have to ask the Senator that. Representative Cheatham is running the bill on behalf of the Senator, so he may not know your answer. MS. Okay. MR. But I just want to make, you know, you can continue to ask the line of questions. MS. Apparently I can't. MR. But I'm going to get the same answer. I don't know. I want
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
5:19
to get to write the same mission. I was just curious. You know, it makes me a little curious, too, but I'm assuming it's the same one,
the same people that have drawn the
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
5:33
Mr. Cheatham. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Any other? Representative Kinnard,
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
5:41
how are you doing? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate your recognition. Mr. Cheatham, my dear friend. Who bought you
Speaker 28
5:48
dinner last night? Yeah, you know, a salad doesn't do it, Mr. Cheatham. I offered steak. But I appreciate
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
5:56
my colleague doing that for me since I didn't have any money on it.
I guess the question I have is, now you've almost made me forget my question. But, no, my question is, when did you receive this map? The Senate map? The Senate or whatever map we got yesterday, when did you receive it? Same time you did. And what time was that,
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
6:28
sir? I don't recall. Yesterday, about 2 o'clock or so. 2.15 or so?
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
6:34
Yeah, something like that. So I appreciate that. Mr. Tietam, I think I can surmise from your testimony, can I not, that you had no input into this map. I think that would be correct. Well, let me
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
6:49
back up a minute. I was asked for suggestions in parts of this map. On parts
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
6:55
of the map. And what parts of that map did you have suggestions about? Of
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
6:59
course, like all of us, the parts that we're extremely concerned about, I was concerned about Ashley County.
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
7:05
Okay. Okay, so you were consulted about that.
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
7:08
Well, I wouldn't say I was consulted. I think I... Well, you had input. Is that correct? Last week I had some words to
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
7:19
say yes. I think that's correct. But you had no input yesterday? No. Okay. Were you aware that I was not consulted about this map that we received at approximately 2.15 yesterday? No, ma'am. Well, I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Cheatham, that you... I think my experience and your experience with regard to this map is probably similar.
Would you not agree? To a point, I would. Thank you,
Representative Debra M. Hobbs
Unverified
7:56
other representative of Hobbs. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. So that part
of it. Okay. I'm sorry. Yeah, I just noticed the little blue south of Pope and
representatively let me know. But I noticed there are several counties divided,
and I was wondering about how the population reflects in each one of those. For instance, you know, there's just a little bit of Searcy County that's placing third instead of the first, and then some of Jefferson placing first. But were those numbers looked at to see if some of the counties may have been able to have been kept whole, or was that even considered? I
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
8:37
cannot answer that question. This is strictly an assumption. Right. Most of the maps that I were involved with started off at a point and tried to get the numbers.
And at some point, when you got the numbers kind
of close, you had to start creeping into counties to pick up enough to make it legal, to reach that 0.5 percent threshold. Right. I understand.
Representative Debra M. Hobbs
Unverified
9:00
I just was wondering about how those numbers reflected on the divisions. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ivy Owen
Unverified
9:06
Members, I'd like to remind you we're going in at 2.30. Is that right? 2.30. So we have a few people who have signed up who'd like to express their opinion from Sebastian County.
Before we can go to public comments, I need a motion. Do I have a motion from anyone? Okay, we're not going to do a motion right now. We're going to go to public comments. Who do we have signed up? We have a Mayor Sandy Sanders from the city of Fort Smith to speak against.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
9:49
Welcome, sir, if you would, if you'd state your name and what organization you're with for the record, please. Thank you
Sandy Sanders
Unverified
9:56
very much. My name is Sandy Sanders. I'm the mayor of Fort Smith, and it's nice to look around the room and see some familiar faces I haven't seen in a while. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. It was a quick drive from Fort Smith. We appreciate your giving us time to speak. We do have a couple of other people, and I don't want to take some of their time. So I would just like to express to you, this is obviously a quickly prepared proposal.
I don't know how much true consideration has been given to the impact that it might have, for example, on our military. For example, Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, 72,000 acres, apparently with this redistricting, is now going to be split. But what impact is that going to have on the Arkansas National Guard and their request for financial funding from Congress and all? That's going to be, I think people have not given full thought to that.
Again, trying to be brief so that others can be heard. From having worked with legislature in years past, I know you're tired. I know you're ready to go home. The lawn needs mowing. You're here to do the right thing. And I think at this point, this proposal is rapidly crafted. It's an effort to get finished, to get home, to do those chores. We have people in other jobs in other countries who are there,
don't have that opportunity to make that decision on their own. They're there to finish their work. I would encourage you, even though you may be tired, You may be ready to get back and do the things that you would normally be doing. I encourage you to oppose this particular redistricting. It splits counties that do not need to be split. We have a good working relationship with the other counties in our region. Splitting Sebastian County is totally inappropriate. Splitting Crawford County down the middle of Alma, can you imagine what that county clerk is going to be facing when trying to prepare ballots
of the same precinct but have two congressional districts and all. I think this is a nice effort, but I don't think it's the right answer. I think that deep down you know that this is not the right answer. It's not something to get done in a hurry. This is going to be something that's going to impact us for the next 10 years. This isn't something that's going to be finished this week, next week. It's going to have impact for the next 10 years on the entire state of Arkansas. So I want to finish real quickly so that other people can be heard so that you can get to the business of the day.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
12:34
I'll be glad to answer any questions. Thank you for your testimony, Mayor. We have Mr. Owens, I think. Thank
Ivy Owen
Unverified
12:50
you. Is it Owens? To speak against the proposal. Welcome, sir. If you would, state your name. What organization are you with for the record?
Speaker 53
12:56
My name is Ivy Owen. I'm Director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority in Fort Smith. Welcome, sir.
Well, thank you. Thank you for having us. I appreciate the opportunity to come over and talk to you about this very important bill. I represent Chaffee Crossing, and as most of you know, part of the biggest and most and the strongest economic development engine in the state of Arkansas. Matter of fact, without Chaffee Crossing, I don't think that engine would be nearly as strong. Northwest Arkansas is part of our economic engine. We certainly don't want to be split off from that.
I haven't seen the details of the map exactly where the line is going to be drawn, but if it affects Chaffee Crossing or the active Army base, it is a huge mistake, big, big mistake. We've spent many, many hours, and I've spent four years, trying to establish a relationship with our District 3 congressional representatives I did that. Now he's gone to the Senate, and I'm working on the new one, and I've already got a relationship with him. And if I have to switch horses in the middle of the stream,
it's going to be a chore upon me. As a matter of fact, I never have even met Mr. Mike Ross, never have even shook hands with him. So I would be starting from scratch. We are a regional entity. We work not just with Sebastian County but with Crawford County and splitting us up is going to be a huge deficit to the state of Arkansas.
Ivy Owen
Unverified
14:33
Are you willing to take questions, sir? Sure. Representative Callie.
Speaker 56
14:38
Thank you, sir. Callie, what is the population there on Fort Chaffee, or how can you say
Speaker 53
14:45
that? Well, now on Chaffee Crossing, we're the decommissioned part of the base, and we're redeveloping that part. So our population is pretty slim right there as part of Fort Smith. On the base itself, it varies from month to month, depending on what's going on there at the time. Where is 49
Speaker 60
15:03
coming through then? 49 is coming through Chaffee Crossing.
Ivy Owen
Unverified
15:08
49 is coming through? It's coming right through the middle of it. And they're working on it now? Yes, sir. Thank you. Seeing no other questions, I thank you for your testimony, sir, and we will certainly appreciate to have you down with us this afternoon. Thank you very much. Now we have Mr. Gossack, is that pronounced correctly? If you would, if you would correct us, we're having a hard time.
Ray Gossack
Unverified
15:40
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You were close. My name is Ray Gossack, and I'm the city administrator for the city of Fort Smith. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you for having us this afternoon. and we do appreciate the opportunity to be part of the committee's process. As Mayor Sanders and Mr. Owen stated, I am also opposed to the redistricting plan that you're considering this afternoon. First, it will create political isolation for our region of Arkansas. We have been working very hard over the last few years to create a regional alliance,
and that alliance is now in place. The proposed plan will put that alliance in two different congressional districts, which is not good for our economic development efforts. We do rely on federal assistance for some of our infrastructure and other projects that support economic development in our region, and we have an excellent working relationship with our congressmen and two senators. But if we're forced to start dealing with two congressmen, it will dilute our influence in the federal funding process
and will most certainly harm our ability to work with our congressmen to obtain funding for those kinds of projects in our region. So it is very important that our region remain together economically. As Mr. Owens said, we're also part of one of the stronger economic engines in Arkansas with western and northwestern Arkansas. We work very closely together with northwestern Arkansas in mutual opportunities, and to begin splitting our region among two congressional districts will dilute the political influence that we're able to have at the federal level.
So I urge you to reject this plan, and as Mayor Sanders urged you, to come back with a much more thoughtful and deliberate plan that keeps similar areas together in the same congressional district rather than splitting them down the middle. Thank you. Thank
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
17:31
you. Any questions? Thank you, sir, for
Ivy Owen
Unverified
17:35
your comments. We appreciate you and appreciate you all coming down to visit with us this afternoon. Thank you for giving us the opportunity, Mr. Chairman.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
17:44
Members, we have an amendment on the – we have a senator first. We have Senator Files, Jake Files. How are you doing, Senator? I'm good. Thank
Speaker 65
18:00
you, Mr. Chairman. My comments are not going to be long. Am I recognized? Yes, sir. I
Speaker 67
18:08
appreciate the opportunity to speak. Obviously, there's been a lot of consternation in Fort Smith and our area over this map
and the process that it came to be drawn on. I respect the process, as all of you do. I don't know that this map got through the correct process. And what I want to ask, there were a lot of good comments made on the floor, a lot of good comments made here, but as you look at this map, can you look somebody in the eye and say, this is the best we can do? Your constituents at home, can you say, this is the best we could do? We're here for 100 days, and this is what we came up with as it relates to redistricting for the next 10 years.
Obviously, a lot of them don't understand the process, as some of us probably didn't before we started. But I think we can do better. I've seen better, and I would hope that you guys would vote against this and give us a chance to fix what we've wronged. Would you take questions? Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. Could you
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
19:03
tell this committee what the vote was down on the Senate for this bill? This is a Senate bill. Yes,
sir. It was 23 to 12. 23 to 12. Yes, sir. Thank you, Senator. Any questions for the Senator?
Thank you, sir. Representative Post? Sorry. Senator, can you come back? We have a request. You're recognized. Yes, sir. Senator Fowles, thank you for
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
19:29
coming here and speaking out
against this Senate bill. Is it true that the vote that occurred in the Senate with regard to the 12 no's, that that was an equal bipartisan opposement of the Senate bill?
There were six senators who voted yes, no, and six Republican senators who voted no. Is that not true, sir? If that's what
Speaker 65
19:57
you tell me, then that's what it was. It wasn't on one party line,
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
20:01
I know that. That's certainly my reading of the Senate vote, and I appreciate your being here to speak out against this bill. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, sir.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
20:11
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Representative Post, you have one and a half minutes.
Representative Leslee Milam Post
Unverified
20:25
Thank you, Chair. And I know that you have already indulged me, so I appreciate you indulging me a little bit more. My comment that I would like to bring to your attention once again that I brought to you on the floor and that I feel that my other colleagues did is that I feel we are doing an injustice to the people of Arkansas by not allowing proper public input, by rushing this through as we have in the past few hours. We are not allowing the people of the third congressional district soon to be part of the fourth,
including the city of Alma that I represent and Franklin County that will move a portion of it. And I don't even know that anyone has spoke to Senator Ruth Whitaker, who represents that area, if anyone's able to visit with her. We're rushing this process to way too fast, and I just think it's a huge injustice what we're doing today. We're not giving proper public input, and it's wrong. And I think each of you should ask yourselves, is this a proper process?
Are you allowing the best proper map to live today that you can through the proper process? And if you can answer that to yourselves honestly, then that's all I
Ivy Owen
Unverified
21:52
ask of you. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Representative. Committee, we're running out of time. We're getting ready
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
22:01
to go into the session. And we have a proposal that presented the amendment and the motion.
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
22:09
I mean, what's the will of the committee? Representative. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for recognizing me. I just want to say, after having driven three hours to get here, I do appreciate that the committee chair gave at least 15 minutes to the people from Fort Smith and the region. I do appreciate that, sir.
Ivy Owen
Unverified
22:33
And I would add that you have done an
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
22:36
excellent job in defending this effort to Sebastian County.
That being said, what's the will of the committee? Have a motion due passed. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. Aye is passed. You passed the amendment. The Senate has passed the Senate Bill 972 as amended. Thank you, committee. We're now going into the session. Thank you all for coming.
Agenda
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Speakers
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
Representative James McLean
Unverified
Speaker 9
Representative Eddie L. Cheatham
Unverified
Speaker 11
Speaker 14
Speaker 23
Speaker 24
Ivy Owen
Unverified
Representative Tracy Pennartz
Unverified
Speaker 28
Speaker 41
Representative Debra M. Hobbs
Unverified
Sandy Sanders
Unverified
Speaker 53
Speaker 56
Speaker 60
Ray Gossack
Unverified
Speaker 65
Speaker 67
Representative Leslee Milam Post
Unverified