State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate

When you come to order. All right members to my knowledge Obviously you get every single bill I think the file that was. Put on is on the agenda. And the way I'm going to handle this if the members here that wants to bring this back bring the particular bill up for discussion again and we will have discussion on that and obviously if there's a point you get to you wanna make a motion I will tell the committee the based upon discussion right now I think it would be wise for presentations of bills that seem to be building consensus and then allow us an opportunity for recess for discussion with the House it will be fruitless for us to pass the bill out that is conflicting with the house we have to come to some agreement and and so my suggestion would be that the committee be prepared let's put on the jet put up here for discussion that but the actual bills that seem to have the consensus growing and then consider a recess so that I can consult with chairman Tosh and that we can visit about where we're at it would be great to be able to get a bill out of here today in my opinion so that we have something is going to be ready to go for the floor but I do not have any indication of consensus on the other end on on these maps it this time so with that said I have just had information that senator mark Johnson would not be presenting his bill so you can strike that from your consideration today Senator Hester you've got seven twenty one do you wish to pause on that and okay all right we'll pass over that in it all these are keep on the agenda for the case that it gets to a point where we just don't have a showdown. So we'll we'll keep a mall steady Senate bills from Senator Clark I don't see him here. Senator Leding told me he would not be running is bills Senator Tucker at thank you tell me that you weren't gonna be running that bill or maybe you are you gonna run your bill. Okay I don't see Senator Elliot either in the room that leaves us with Senator Davis which is to be honest that seems to be probably the most consensus coming that I'm hearing is is for maps that you in a representative Dotson have been visiting on so Senator Davis if you liked what you. Looking percent. Both bills or one built whatever you choose. I also like to say hello to auditor leaves very good to see her in here. All right thank you alter or strong in pope county all right at thank you miss you're recognized as Senator Breanne Davis District sixteen. So I'm just going to present and Senate bill seven twenty five. It is the map that splits Pulaski County. And. Says just briefly and it splits three counties instead of five it keeps the roll croppers and in the delta together it makes the fourth district more compact it splits Pulaski County down the river And down sixty seven and one sixty seven so it keeps Little Rock Cole keeps North Little Rock coal and has those natural boundaries there and and it puts the smaller counties that have been split for decades together and I think gives them a little bit more of a stronger voice counties like Newton County which I represent and we're sixty seven percent of their land is owned by the federal government and they have a hard time and being able to get what they need from the federal government so it's important to me to ensure that they were together as one county in one congressional district and the deviations are very close there and a couple of the districts are at zero percent one at that point one percent and the other one a negative point one. So and. At this time we're still working through and just some concerns and so I'm not ready to ask for a vote on this bill yet I want to and take some time to work together and know that we've got to be on the same page with the house and so and I just wanted to present in front of the committee so we can all look at it refresh your memory on it from earlier this week but I'm not gonna ask for that at this time I will take any questions and and I will say I appreciate your leadership on this and truly leadership and consulting the house this is time we really do need collaboration I noticed that a lot of work into it members you have any questions for Senator Davis on on the bill Senator English so I guess the question obviously the taking North Little Rock which is part most of the city a lot of the city and their industrial apartment take part of metro plans all of their planning and stuff and putting it into another congressional district just so tell me how you decided that was the place to out of all the second congressional district to cut down on the amount of boaters well as your call the the first map that spanned representative Dotson I filed split saline county a little bit of of I. thirty and we are looking for natural boundary there as well and so based on feedback we got from members we and filed this bill and what we did with Pulaski was we did everything we could to make sure that cities stay together so we didn't draw a line down the middle of little rock or north little rock or a Jacksonville and and my email or whatever so we work hard to keep cities together and then follow those natural boundaries like the river like sixty seven and one sixty seven so that was the way that we looked at it and then also to get the numbers just right so that we tried a lot of different options and that just didn't fit and that was the one that fit the best. So what if you didn't but if you lopped off white pardon White County I mean if you have how many people do you have to get rid of the forty thousand. And that's what I'm saying thirteen thousand or something like that am I it's S. substantially more than that and we put hope in Cleburne into the second congressional district in pope is at a working in retail rational district is that plastic county could remain home and Klasky county would still have to address for population I mean the second congressional district would have to adjust for population even if you dropped out pope and Claiborne they would still have to. Adjust for population yes so how many how many people are in Polk County sixty a little over sixty three thousand they've come a little over sixty three thousand and how many in Cleburne County and I'm trying to remember I don't have my notes in front of me on that so that seems to be more than the forty three thousand. That we have a drop off. Yeah and we we didn't have that one county in there then it would probably make things pretty even. Yeah it's the website address for population. And certainly if a member wanted to file mapping kept Lasky County excuse me the second congressional district exactly the same they could do so. Members any other questions. Yes Senator Tucker. Thank you Mr and. You may have just said this but I was I couldn't tell exactly what's entering this was asking of the portion of Pulaski County that's in the fourth district do you know what the number of people in plaster county is. And I don't have an answer for me I'm sorry I can get I can get that number to you pretty quickly that. Okay yeah. and then. Sebastian Jefferson applies here the three counties remain split on this map is that correct. That is correct. So the What do you know what what the number is is it I'm just doing some quick math but it would be about seventy three hundred people what would constitute one percent of a. Deviation if you move seventy three hundred people here there that would be up to one percent. I honestly think they do deviations little different because our at our numbers. And let's see. Yeah that that actually and I thank seventy first yes yes sorry yeah. Okay if you could the number I'm most interested in is is it what the population as of the territory in Pulaski County that's propose we put on the fourth congressional district I'll find that out and very quickly okay thank you I can get to my notes in my phone. Okay. I think Senator Hester. So Senator Davis I just wanted to say aye aye I've noticed that up people on this committee it seems that they're they're County some of this tradition matter to some people so you you pick this committee of Senator English matter to matter Senator Ballinger and you anyway I just want to stand on this in a very difficult hard process and it was important you you thought thought through it a long time ago and plan on being here to make sure districts represented well I appreciate that and anyway just want to say this is the second best map of scene I'm willing to support. Thank you Senator Hester. Number of. Members any other questions for Senator Davis. Seeing none I'm sorry senator Bledsoe. Thank you Mister chair I just want a little more clarification of how you split you split Me see Pulaski. Yes could you go over that again I believe you said but I want to be sure I understand yes absolutely and we did two things when sporting Pulaski we try to keep the whole cities together so we work to ensure we see sort of like I called the clock coming out that is the City of Little Rock we insure that the City of Little Rock stayed together and we work to ensure that North Little Rock stayed together and the second thing we did was follow natural boundaries within plastic County so an outside of keeping those two cities together we followed the river And then we followed sixty seven one sixty seven. Thank you so much. Okay. Members Senator Tucker is that split Jacksonville. There is Jackson it does a little bit yes we were and because of where the Interstate like trying to keep that natural boundary and yes it does what is a little bit do you know if there any other cities or towns that are split by six seven one six seven not that I'm aware of that so to be an or would interject it doesn't necessarily split it would cap it does have some city limits this on the other side of sixty seven there's some development there with cameras yeah. A little north of that. That would be entirely still within Lonoke county no right answer and leave instructor after Jacksonville but you ask if any privilege of that areas for yes I'll close. The poor question on my part within Pulaski County as well yeah okay. so Jacksonville the only city or town within Pulaski County that you're aware of that's that split into two different congratulations by the. Yes there were some weird and precincts with Asher would that mix the two and and so it's a little confusing explain but it we kept whole precincts together but the precincts were mixed so you'll find a little bit like a couple voters that you know are in one and not sure whether that it's just because the way their precincts are a little different there and we weren't able to score three six. Thank you. Senator English. So when you look at one sixty seven if you look AT east one sixty seven which is what using as the boundary that's North Little Rock to the east and it goes all the way down to Whole. Clause Faulkner Lake Road up to the low no county line Pulaski County lone oak and that's all the they're industrial area that's all their new Amazon fulfillment center that all the tracking all activity and The area that you're looking at going out all thank you sorry yeah well Senator English like I said earlier I'm not asking for a vote on this yet because it's important me ask respect you a lot and and and the other our my other colleagues and I know know math is going to make everyone happy that we're trying to work within that legal constraints that we have in the criteria to meet and I certainly want to continue working on it to where we can get to a consensus where people feel more comfortable good yeah. All right members any other questions on on this map for Senator Davis. Shall have anything before we take folks of my own speak for or against the bill I'm good thank you all right thank you senator. Senator Matt Pitsch. Good afternoon senator you're recognized thank you Mr chairman thank you committee members as Senator Hester pointed out on Saturday was previously. R. as as big as this is becoming my County probably should have taken state agencies as a selection and and so I'm here as a senator I look at this. I just need the members of this committee and the Senate and the house I appreciate Senator Davis and Senator Ballinger and Senator Rapert meeting with me trying to find a resolution to this we're all here advocating Senator Ballinger is advocating for Madison County I'm advocating for Sebastian County and there should be no question in anybody's mind. That the history and Sebastian County ten years ago. They got divided. And they hated it when I got divided last time. Every type of. Team doing that. But it hurt them and hurt them bad. And they would tell you that. And they have told you that twenty CEOs have signed a letter your county judge our county judge to mayors have been down here a committee meetings and I said we want to be in the third district we want to remain whole. And without fail I'm here to advocate for that if that's a possibility which we have that on some maps where a lot of the counties are put together not divided up. I don't think you know some people try to tell us well it's good to be divided up the problem was good to be divided up as you have been divided up we have for ten years and to ask a county. Who is the fourth largest county in the state. That you're going to stay divided up for twenty years. At some level. I won't name the legislator but at some level I talked to a legislator recently. You said my district got redrawn the Democrats did that to me. I said well imagine that feeling because that's what we have if your own party came back and did worse than that ten years later. Because that's what the people Sebastian County are trying to relay through me and through their attendance coming to Little Rock they've been down here the twentieth the twenty third in the twenty seventh. And they'll be down here in if you need him to Mister chairman because they put in writing their request please we don't want to be divided up. And I guess I can try and answer questions but I'm not an expert on this on here represent my people just like Senator Ballinger from Madison County and. County was Senator Davis we're we're here to do the advocacy for our folks. It's clear what advocacy for phones and Sebastian County this. Centerbridge appreciate you coming and and having discussed this with many of the stakeholders lest anybody Be ignorant of the fact they need to know that you advocated very very strongly not only in committee and behind the scenes and I understand that perfectly the difficulty in all this is for finding who is going to be the place that seeds I spoke up personally the other night and caucus meeting about the fact that would be nice to keep Sebastian County if we could but we you know that your process but I want to state this so there is no question that you have fought tremendously hard in advocated for people in your community in your district and that's noble and nobody will hold that against you for sure Sir can I can I respond of course yes I think part of what the frustration is is we're getting people telling my representatives and others that there are people in your home district that are okay with this and we would chase down that rabbit trouble who said that who told you that the everybody in Fort Smith is put up a United front that they want to do this and you know it's pretty easy to say well Fort Smith spend divided ten years without realizing what that's done to our county the last ten years I'm okay and understand you have to maybe divide somebody I think our folks are to we just think it's somebody else's turn to be divided because we've been there that's reasonable understanding of. There is some questions going up I don't know if you've got anybody down senator garner the first. Thank you Mr chairman I can explain this I think your county judge of the I'm I'm hundred percent support Sebastian County being keep kapow I think that we can do that the problem is John Marshall's cake you need to stay in a third district because enters counties above that new city I mean geographically that you have to draw around to get down to your district to do that in the third district I'm not saying that's good or bad but I mean you the very self tipis Sebastian County safe we left Madison and for that we did something like that then you start playing games with people being closer I mean assuming they go the fourth senate respuesta wins again across some should know plastic W. three hours away verses are away from representation so how can you justify keeping together which is concept I agree but then also so you need to be in the third district and that nature that's a valid question I guess I would ask the questions were both lobbying for our folks advocating form and we were in the third this is kind of like we were part of the team minus the the beat up we took ten years ago divide and we felt like we've been active in the third we feel like we've done nothing in the falls and not to be. Charged with that but I think that's all the words in your mouth but I was at your Madison County where they said being in the fourth or so far away from the geographical center it's tough to get representation. You know the reality of this equation is we're going to pick winners and losers for the citizens of Arkansas as chairman Rapert said somebody's going when somebody's gonna lose. And I'm I would rather tell. Less people. That you have to be the same place you are now because there's an entire county was part of the fourth district that went into the third and all these people in Sebastian County thought they were gonna get a hole in the third because they suffered for ten years without it are going well how come they get to be in and we've got to go back to the way we spent twenty years of being divided is a tough one geographical I get it this but if we're gonna do geographical we're building interstate between our County that's my day job we're building a port from major businesses in Washington and Benton County the geographic infrastructure ties are repealed and there's been a lot of work with our congressmen or senators all four counties on in behalf but if our folks of always felt like we were we were cut off the legs if you will losing the South Park so again you got I think Madison County correct me if I'm wrong but I believe there seventeen thousand just under that are probably if you go with us if that's the answer gonna like it I would I don't do that to Madison County but I'm ready for the ten thousand people come from somewhere other than my County as we have been there for ten years. The members by the way you did ask the committee to pass out just to county by county population for you as we start to get into trying to find numbers and so you're right medicines sixteen thousand five twenty one on here any other that might County because I wanna make sure I. G. of a hundred twenty three or under Sebastian County is one hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred ninety nine. And Crawford County by the way is sixty thousand one hundred thirty three I think my messages I want you to know that you've heard rumors that well some of you don't care I can pretty much said here's the Senator from at least ninety thousand of those hundred twenty seven that they want to be hold the third that's not a license thing that they want okay Senator Ballinger I believe I have unix server. Thank you Mr I do have some some I'm like from a policy standpoint why is it better to do to split you know take a third of the population out of one county small county then to take a few precincts of a bigger County well basically all Arkansans are created equal and get close to like all our Kansans I think we all agree are created equal the mayor of packets the names of the green wood Mansfield cities that are in my Senate district would tell you they live off their state senator because they are getting congressional representation so when we table say we're taking a precinct our history may be and I've heard others say we got to congressman that's great and I think it is when it's local politics but at the federal level that doesn't appear is an R. X. experience what our experience is is we deal with what the majority congressional district is and the rest is coming in in order to help the state can take care of it and so I mean I'm sorry that your experience is it's been like that in a Madison County beat in the fourth is not meant the the congressman is not not engaged and involved but what I've found is it means it is more difficult for him to be engaged involved and especially when the identity of Madison County I mean they're literally. Twenty miles from congressman Womack right to me that they are it's it is part of the four county area and so it's really hard to to I mean there was a fable finger that impairs to everybody that turned into Madison County thing and to me it seems like you know it doesn't make any sense to continue that silly process especially what we're talking about is is taking a few precincts out of a big County in order to make it were rural county can be made whole just seems like that from a policy standpoint impact statement obviously I have have mine prejudices for the two buttons to well I to answer that I assume there was that was led as a question but as I hear that I give and I knowledge that it your job to the advocate I think is the right word. At some level I'm not only advocating for my county just like you are I'm advocating that we spent ten years being divided were other counties happened and we're short I believe ten thousand people and defined ten thousand people if we have to divide lets somebody else divide because the citizens of Sebastian County happened by so you are you opposed to Crawford County being divided since they've been divided for five years ten years that that has been given to me I think we ought to really ask you your the congressmen are those right Senator there but I do a bunch of business in Crawford County as I build ports and harbors and roads and interstates to their the highest in Northwest Arkansas it kind of depends what you do I would like to see the infrastructure stay in the same third district sure you you just said Sebastian County been divided for ten years it's somebody else's turn so are you opposed to any bill that would also divide Crawford County is amended by to pretend to be to be fair and maybe argue your point Crawford County was one of the other two that got divided last time to I mean let's understand they spent ten years being divided and as their senator I have to believe you've heard from judge Gilstrap and from the mayor Crawford County that they didn't care for that either so I'd I'd that's how it works Crawford County. I don't see anybody else. Chimed in that they have a question for Senator Pitsch if there is let me know. Senate pitching thank you for the comment no I'm just willing to try and work and see if we can get to this I appreciate the leadership Senator Rapert Senator Davis in a room let's see what we can do I you know. We've we've done our time being divided and where you would request that we don't have to do that again as I say you've been a very effective advocate and we appreciate you coming in and presenting comments thank you thank you. Senator Davis his or anything else will you welcome say few words I will just by way of the fact that this is a a working collaboration the house has adjourned they plan to go back at three fifteen and so I would say as soon as possible this committee will be it recessing so that we can have some conversations about some of the maps and I don't know if representative Dotson senses your co sponsor for you might want to give us any clue on any of that or not this time it looks like he doesn't really have anything to say at this time but but I wanted to let you know that we will recess and we cannot Senator Elliot has come be happy for common in that state her bill and present that as well but we're not going labor so that we have an opportunity for the chairs at a minimum to talk and then we're gonna come back in this afternoon so. I just wanna answer the questions that I couldn't answer in my opening and and Klasky county we take around a hundred and five thousand and put them into the fourth congressional district and in Sebastian County there's approximately ten thousand and of the population that is in the fourth and that line remains pretty consistent with where the line is currently thank you okay thank you very much senator Davis Senator Elliott are you still over there ma'am. Okay Senator Elliot be happy for you to come and in percent make comments on your photos on your show you know Senator Elliot all the rest of bills were passed over by passed over Roman so you the only other bills that Senator Davis today. All right thank you Mr chairman thank you members of the committee I I know most of you have heard the discussion on this bill so Mister I don't necessarily need to go through every single thing and answer any questions people ask questions but I do just want to just officially be here to make the case based on what we've already discussed anything you might wanna discuss today that I would like to see this bill considered along with others and given the same seriousness and I think you need to hear that from me and and not you not what you're saying but I don't think you're going to do that so that's really the main thing I want to say about the bill this is an opportunity for us to do something that's historic with this bill and I just ask you to give it due consideration I will answer any questions Mr sheriff anybody has questions thank you senator members you have questions on this particular bill. I don't see any center you did a perfect job the other day advocating your position and and answered a lot of questions a lot of comments rates thank you. And hold you never know just keep alive you never know what might happen around here so thank you. I'm with you members if you have anything else what I like to do is for members to to please stand by for and I would just say I'm going to go ahead and state we're sitting here two o'clock in since the house is gonna go back in at three fifteen I'd say would be the same thing and give us an opportunity for the chairs to talk and let's see if there's any consensus that begins to build between the two and that are give us plenty of time to see if we can make it and I thank you for your work. And so be ready to come back at three fifteen will recess until that time thank you. Yeah. Come to order. Members I have not been advised of any particular compromise it's been made at this time I've talked a little bit with the house in my understanding they were the same position we were trying to talk some things out but obviously members can make motion and make recommendations whatever you like to do what I'd like to do is go ahead and take up Senator garner's resolution and then if there's any discussion on the posture of the committee we can do that senator garner you're recognized thank Mr might be brief as Afghan war veteran like many people probably this room I watch the withdrawal of Afghanistan from our troops in the last few months. And as someone who served in Afghanistan have seen. The suffering hardships of our brave men and women in uniform I thought that withdrawal was. An adequate. Terrible. And lead to real human suffering of people that I knew personally and the people I served with both an Afghan national army and interpreters. So I want to pass a resolution for the Senate of Arkansas and say we can dam withdraw that and how president Joe Biden handle that the Senate strong clear message that in the future when we have foreign policy decision like this they need to be handled differently and we will be keeping a watchful eye following the determination that could come from the by the ministration or any other future ministry that'll take any questions thank you senator garner members you have any comments on the resolution questions for senator garner. Seeing none I do have a motion. Motion do pass from Senator Hester second for Senator Ballinger all those in favor say aye opposed no. Resolution passes thank you senator garner we appreciate you for bringing this and Create the messages well. Members of senator Davis if you if you don't mind what why don't you give an update to committee maybe on some discussions on where you're at. And thank you and Senator Rapert aye and and working I'm about to get with the alarm and have another and map drafted that makes an slight changes and just so we can look at two different maps and see where the committee is on that and if we can come disorder some sort of consensus so and the map all be drafting it will change and just two things that will make Sebastian County hole and and which is about ten thousand people so it will and will draw a line in Crawford County the card is out about ten thousand okay so that's the all right members any questions for Senator Davis. Okay seeing none I have my conversation representive Tosh and and other members a few moments ago was that they're not it necessarily consensus either they're done a ranked former the only thing that's similar to that is the way we done constitutional amendment Sir some of them have in the past they've got a bigger committee so they're trying to wrangle how they get to a map that they can get behind it still appears to me that there's a lot of work being done with Senator Davis represented Dotson but I know others are in strong close down there on the other end what would be nice is forced to find some consensus the fact we don't have it today and we're slaves we are in the day I believe what we'll just do is going to churn for the day that these maps get out there I really hope that you'll share information Senator Davis soon as you get it so that people can see it and begin thinking about overnight understanding is we convene at nine AM in the morning I'm just going to continue to maintain a call the chair for this committee so that as soon as we have anything that appears to be consensus that will try to try to get in and take care of this and get it back out to the floor so any questions. All right saying none were Jr thank you.