State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs- House

Audience that if you look over the agenda and you're here to speak for or against any of the bills that will be presented today. then there's a sign up sheet was a sign up sheet is adept outside the. Just outside the door be sure to sign up and it'll make its way up here will. Recognize you to speak for or against. The Bill. Committee members before we get started let me just kind outlined to you got a household things go today. Let everybody get settled down here a little bit because. A lot of business to take care of any to extremely important. Committee members what I plan to do is we've got we're not going to go back over the bills that were presented to this in the joint committee meeting during the three days that we met. we all heard those bills and there's no need to hear him again but we do have four of. Bills that have been filed since we had those meetings and those bills will be heard today and I believe the sponsors of the bills are in the room and they'll be called upon hearing a little bit to present those bills. After we've heard those that we've heard de um presentation from each of the sponsors then this committee will be Be asking what hopefully we can do is we can come to a consensus and we can be able to move one bail out of this committee to the house floor. The way the chair plans on doing that and all of you were here with me during the constitutional amendments. Is that what ideas I had you to rank in order what you felt what was your number one choice of the bills that were presented in your number two choice in your number three choice there's a form that has been devised to bill or that will be handed out to each committee member. once we've heard presentations you'll be presented that form at that time the chair will recess the committee are not Hey. And then what I would ask you to do is within one hour that I you need to have that for me back to Committee and then she will tabulate those numbers and then when we come back in an hour Hey if you have that information available to this chair and I presented to the committee at that time and then ever which which proposal was number one then that's sponsor will go to the end of the table they will not have to re present a presenter bill again metallo look for a motion from this committee as to whether to approve the bill or not so with that said let me go back over that again just to make sure we're going to hear the new bills to be handed a form you'll be asked to vote in your first choice second choice third choice shall use same wage scale that I use during the constitution amendment your first choice will receive three point your second choice who receive to your third choice receive one of the bill getting the most points will be considered the number one bill from the will of this committee to be presented and then thanks those forms then be handed out will recess for an hour and a half but the forms need to be back to the Clerk Committee here within one hour to give her time to be able to tabulate those scores so that then we can call upon the sponsor that ever whose bill was number one to go to the under the table for the committee to make that vote With that said. Let's go ahead and start with the agenda at this point and I understand that on the agenda today committee members as you look at it. There are some of these some of the bills that are listed on the agenda and you probably need to make a note of this so that when you vote on the form you want will not take them into consideration is not understanding because the sponsor has has pulled the bill down upon me incorrect and that then the sponsor of that bill needs to let me know but for example representative speaks I believe you've got to bills on the agenda and it's my understanding house bill nineteen fifty nine you no longer want that bill considered is that correct okay so that bill will not be considered representative Ladyman you have house bill nineteen sixty on the agenda do you still want that bill considered at the end of the day by the committee. Okay so it would just make a note committee members at nineteen fifty nine to nineteen sixty will be pulled out and even though they're going to be on your form the voting form just mark through those and do not cast a vote for either one of those bills House Bill nineteen sixty two representative Murdock us see I thought I saw you Walkin robe you still want your bill on the agenda correct okay nineteen sixty three representative Dotson represented documents that bill pulled nineteen sixty three so mark that when you get your forms you're voting for Markov nineteen sixty three and what I'll do committee members to help and wants to form peer handed out I will go back through so you can strike at that time the bill is that are not to be considered the house bill nineteen sixty four representative ray. You have the what what I can't fight yes do you want your bill still considered okay representative flowers. Got it. J. D. Meeks god okay so again that'll be I'll go back over these with you when you get to four but nineteen fifty nine. Nineteen sixty. In nineteen sixty three we'll all be We will strike those from the voting for when they're handed out and I'll do that again with those forms are handed out so. That's just kind of explaining the process to the Committee members and to those in attendance and again I remind those in attendance as you look at the agenda if you want to speak for against any of these proposals of. and signed up so that we can call on you to do so so the first item on today's agenda. We'll be house bill nineteen sixty eight. representative would occur. Committee members it. Every map represents Whitaker digit just one moment for you present your bill let me make another comment to the committee you should have in front of you ever map forever bill the total today's agenda even the ones that I just said we would not be considering so you may want to pull those out the batch but I thank representative Gonzalez used to you you have a question. Committee committee. Representative Whitaker. Sorry about the delay. I had an issue there but anyways you're recognized to present house bill nineteen sixty eight. Thank you Mr chair thank you committee of the outside I want to go ahead and Clarify something what you don't didn't see on the agenda today was house bill nineteen sixty one which is I presented to the committee during our first hearing I actually formally withdrew that this morning so it wouldn't appear on so would appear here but nineteen sixty eight is a different bill in a different map. Throughout this process And I wasn't fortunate to be able to attend to every one of the meetings and here the presentation for every map two things kept coming to the fore during every presentation. two major things a couple others will get to in a moment of. It was the very sincere desire of folks in both the house and the Senate. To have maps that kept deviations between the four districts at or below one percent. Customize. The other thing that we saw Sturch strongly voice over and over again was desire for whole counties. balancing there is folks we're certainly Jenner's enough as far as wanting to discuss the theory of splitting counties the minute that you presented a map that have split counties in a the you have done. Rather stiff opposition and strong opinions. So I. Communal geographer I was I saw challenge now is like if nothing else I'm going to I'm going to work and try to find a map that does those two things at least and what you see before you in nineteen sixty eight does both. You have four congressional districts with no county splits in not only doesn't introduce any new ones it eliminates all the current splits. Every county is whole. Also each district is with them be plus or minus one percent deviation of. Just quickly. The first district is probably the largest deviation it but point eight one over. The second district. Is minus point five six. The third district is minus point one five. And the fourth district is minus point one. I also as a subsidiary matter heard over and over very good reasons to change the map that I presented in nineteen sixty one to return and keep the same Chicot County in the first district. That's the map I'm take any questions. Any questions from committee members. Say none no one signed up to speak for or against the bill representative would occur you're recognized close with your bill. Well I just want to thank everybody who's worked with us It's been an incredible process there are. A couple of really good bills that we could and we could enact. Before the end of the week I'm certain I'm gonna keep mine in the mix I'd appreciate it a good vote on the formulated today but I stand ready to support this command whoever this committee's bill. Comes out because I've talked all most all of you know and receive your feedback and I think we've got a we've got a good good common sense folks pushing good bills so thank you for your time representative Whitaker thank you for your Brian this bill before us we appreciate your time and effort in it and uh. Representing Gonzalez. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized to. President house bill nineteen sixty nine. They make sure they committee. This is a this good bill great bill best best Bills been filed this session. Really appreciate a lot of support on this this this keeps most County sold there are couple County split Sebastian Pulaski County Pulaski along along the river there But it is what it is a some of the maps that I've seen it has would be hard to drive from one part of the district to the other without entering another district going through another district this kind of takes care most of that issue And the deviation is really low on it I would I would like to say that this would withstand a quarter but I don't I don't know that and we don't know that about any the maps I'd like to say well this might wanna get a suit but I don't believe that about any of. Is it. You closed time close although okay any questions from committee members. Deduction you're recognized for a question thank you Mr so the line of Sebastian County where it's divided do you have a sense of how far south that goes with that dividing line of its south of Greenwood is just divided on freezing lines just to get population where it needed to be okay the south green with. Thank you Mr president the McCollum you have a question okay any further questions from committee members. Say none no one signed up to speak for against the bill representative Gonzalez you're recognized close with the bill closed Richard good vote. Oppurtunity Gonzalez is close with the bill. We appreciate you bringing the bill before this committee so. Committee the next can I make a comment about possible amendments yes bill president. Some Committee there's something on this that you see that that you like the Bill overall but would like to see amended I think there there is going to be an opportunity for the for that process if you all come to me and say Hey you know I'm I'd be willing to rank yours first if you would make these small changes I'd be willing to do that and I might be willing to support some of the other ones with small members as well if anybody else is willing to to do that the same. Okay and the other as yours exactly right if if. If you want to talk to the sponsor and he's here she's willing to make an amendment to that and that we need to be done when or recess brought back and then I heard by the committee and and again explained as amended is that what you're saying representative Gonzalez yes okay thank you thank you. Representative Ladyman. Thank you Mr chairman I have a question for staff to the letter that let's hear the question is it possible to do an amendment in that hour and a half recess. To a bill. The Committee will find them thank you. Representative and we would absolutely be able to get a map together and if there's a lot of changes to the precincts and that's gonna be a little bit more difficult timing wise but we would do our best to get that amendment process during the time that we have to get it back. The problem we run into a representative Ladyman understand about the amendments but here's the problem and and if we work around it I think well obviously we need to do so but once we recess and the members that are handed out the the sheet to vote on their voting on the bills as they were presented and never being having the opportunity to hear the amendment once they cast their vote which up I really have a problem with that because of just the fairness of it so I'll be like when a member's votes they should not only be voting on the bill but if there was an amendment they should have the opportunity to be voting for that amendment as well so I think therein lies the problem of trying to do an amendment at this point but I would sure take that under consideration if it's the will of the committee. Representative Dotson you're recognized to present. House bill nineteen seventy thank you Mr chairman or the committee house bill nineteen seventy is Basically a mirror copy B. of SP seven twenty five that many of you already heard the particulars of just kind of go through it briefly for anybody who wasn't there on Monday this leaves the third congressional district identical to the presentation I made on Monday it has Benton Carroll Madison Washington Crawford and the north part of Sebastian County so the entire Fort Smith area is all part of the third Greenwood as part of the third the south part that is currently in the fourth congressional district would stay in the fourth and it changes three precincts all the all south of Greenwood just for that population deviation to be at point zero zero percent it's actually twenty four people off of the spot on number that's close as I can get with with precincts If you're looking at your your map outline actually. This map outline doesn't have there is you look at your map outlined it moves Madison County out of the fourth into the third makes Crawford County whole Newton County hole and Most pope into the second at Newton Boone Marion all go into the first and Searcy County is made whole in the first the other change is it moves Cleburne County out of the first into the second. And it leaves all of south Arkansas basically south of Stirling council alone except for Jefferson County it changes one precinct down there to to get that population within within that type variants so overall variants on this map is point one seven percent it's the the tightest variants of any of the maps that that I've seen to date and then it also sports Pulaski County the way that senator Davis presented on Monday and I'm more than happy to answer try to answer any questions. Questions from committee members. A representative would occur you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair Representative Dotson just to clarify I'm I'm pretty sure I understand but the difference one of the differences here is that your your map from the other day actually of that slice of Salim county and you've abandonment and Graber of senator Davis's plan right so selling County it is whole holy in the second and not split at all Klasky county is the county that split in the in the second in its identical to SB seven twenty five that Senator Davis is presenting in the Senate thank you thank you Mr. Representative make sure recognized for a question. Thank you Mr I just to clarify in the splitting of Pulaski County are you splitting Anne's the city's or you live in all the cities all so as you go in it. I obviously had to follow precinct lines but it it goes up on the follows the old the river around Little Rock so Little Rock stays in the second North Little Rock is what would move to the fourth and then it stays to the east side of one sixty seven highway as it goes up there and follows all those precinct lines along their so everything on the east side of one sixty seven that's a part of the municipality would be would be divided along a major thoroughfare. Representative Deffenbaugh you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr. I guess my whole problem with this is we fought this battle Sebastian Crawford County for ten years we've been split and you know its And be honest with you sticks in my Craw that we're we're one of the few that get split again. So my question is in another way to do this. There's there's a hundred plus different ways to do various things to get the deviation of population as tight as it is this is in my opinion the best way since south Sebastian county is a natural fit more within the fourth and we're not making a wholesale change within within that area of the state on that side of it north Sebastian County would move entirely into the third where it's currently split and that's what I've heard a lot of people in Fort Smith area are really wanting to be part of the third in its entirety it also makes Crawford County whole and holy in the the third district as opposed to being split in half so we're we have fewer split counties with this then That is currently there that I think we have five currently split counties this would take it down to three and trying not to make as many wholesale changes around the edges is possible with Southeast Arkansas and and that that section up there around Sebastian and Crawford counties. You're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman resent Dotson of I don't have a blown up. Version of this but I do have quite a few kinfolk happen sure would. Does this stop at the sure would. North Little Rock city limits so as much as possible unfortunately in drafting a bill you have to follow precincts we can't get in to to broken block level data discovered that is as we're trying to draft some of these bills and so The from there are some precincts that cross the municipal boundaries if that makes sense so tried to follow that line as closely as possible but on the let me see if I can find the. On the. What is at the south west corner of sure would there is a tip of it that is part of a precinct that is is. Connected to the North Little Rock precinct follow up recognized is and I'm assuming Jacksonville gravel ridge. First of the second. At Jacksonville everything on the east side of that one sixty seven line is all in the second everything on the. I seized everything on the west side one sixty seven the the the. Majority of Jacksonville is but there are there is a little bit the stakes over to the side one sixty seven that is part of the would be part of the fourth so it is all of North Little Rock in the fourth or yes sort of so as far as I can as far as I can tell on this may just get my mind around it then you if I continue you're recognized will it of North Little Rock they pretty much all of it in the fourth. And correct and just a little sliver of sure would in the fourth row and then the east half of the interstate going cutting through Jacksonville is in the fourth right okay thank you. No further questions from committee members. No one signed up to speak for against the bill representative dodging you're recognized closed. Thank you Mr members the committee certainly appreciate your first vote on this and if if you can give me a first voted for should second vote on your map this is this is one that is labor of a lot of input from a lot of different folks on both ends of the capital of gotten a lot of uh lot of Senators been working on this as well so I think this one has a lot more support after having heard from a variety of people than in some others that are in consideration not to detract from the efforts of anybody else but at I think it's it's been well discussed by a lot of folks so it and if there's any changes I'm again open to any feedback on there just like representative Gonzalez thank you and I appreciate a good vote thank you representative Dotson. Committee members next item on today's agenda is house bill nineteen seventy one. Representative speaks. Representatives page you're recognized also as a representative Ladyman at the end of the table so I guess represent you speak you're going to present the bill correct that is correct you're recognized as a thank you Mister chair I bring to your house bill nineteen seventy one it is almost identical to the other one that I pulled down the counties are all whole I tried just except for a. I love the campus Lasky County but at the except Pulaski County that was some of the changes that I may but I tried to take the map as I said before that we are working with now and then bill from that to just work with what we had to to get it in balance with the the numbers what I've done with this one I took and put Van Buren man because a lot if and listen to a lot of people wanted that back in to the second district and all I've done with the Pulaski County was of let me tell you this all of the little Rock North Little Rock in Jacksonville are all home we didn't even touch them we just have the south east corner isn't that what is called the southeast corner which is farmland and we just done enough to get out to where we could make our numbers come out to what we had to have in everything is below one percent. And you might wanna tell for that just exactly because we have it where the guidelines is very easy to follow. Mr chairman got a couple comments you're recognized represent you. thank representative speak for putting this map together I think it's a very good map it it does not make wholesale changes to the existing map which my bill is similar to that that's why I came on board with this bill I had three counties that were split in my bill a representative speaks was able to do this without splitting up a lot of counties. but the guidelines in Pulaski County there's a map there in the back you can look at but the southeast corner of Pulaski County that comes out of the second district is bordered by interstate thirty on the north side and then for forty on the west side down to five thirty on the west side so it just takes out that southeast corner. And to answer representative Deffenbaugh here's another way. Because we did not split. Very many counties only one we try to keep that to a very minimum tried not split any but it's just not possible to do this without splitting at least one county. And we also left in that the precincts there Hollowell if there is any little town that's in this here they are hold we did not trying to we work very hard to keep from splitting anything that's gonna make it hard during election or hard for the people who live in dance. And I'm open for questions okay any questions from committee members represent the gene you're recognized for a question. Thank you for a richer of. British speak someone as to the the same thing I as a representative Dotson and it's just your map okay in South Pulaski County if you split any city. We didn't split the city no representative we there are no cities that are split I think the two cities that are in that area are rights bill and what is a college station station I think that's the only cities in there and they are wholly in that split up we do we do not split the City of Little Rock at all this is the Little Rock in North Little Rock city Jacksonville is not in the part that's got out okay thank you. Any further questions from committee members. Saying none no one signed up to speak for against the bill representative to speak you're recognized closing your bill thank you Mr chair I would appreciate a good vote I think that would I've worked very very hard and and Ladyman representive Ladyman came on board with me and trying to make sure that we did not hurt these counties and that we stayed within the guidelines and we've met everyone of those so I appreciate a good vote thank you. Thank you representative speaks in that particular item for bringing this bill. Committee members at this time I'm going to establish a hand out to you The form for voting once you get that in front of me I'm going to go back over with you to You got a pen in hand to tell you which Bills distracted or not in consideration is pulled by the sponsor. Now I'm ready for you to get to forms and trying to be I committee members. Hi the. Representatives if you're not on this committee please do not be talking or speaking with committee members this time until I recess. Committee members I waited for you to get the voting form in front of you if you have in front of you let's go through it because I don't want to be any misunderstanding house bill nineteen fifty nine if you have you can you can strike through that that has been pulled by the sponsor. House bill nineteen sixty you contract through that one that has been pulled by the sponsor. nineteen sixty two by is still active that's representative Murdock. House bill nineteen sixty three is pulled by the sponsor that representative Dotson. House bill nineteen sixty four representative ray. Is still active house bill nineteen sixty five by representative flowers is still active. House bill nineteen sixty six by representative makes is still active and then of course the bills we heard today nineteen sixty eight by representative would occur nineteen sixty nine by representative Gonzalez nineteen seventy by representative Dotson and and I house bill nineteen seventy one by representative speaks. Just as a reminder committee members. The time now is one forty two. So by two forty to be sure and tell outage former member if your first choice second choice third choice or you don't have to put your first choicers first and second that's up to you but get those filled out and have gone back to the Committee within by two forty two and then we'll be back here in committee Just a minute. We'll be back in Committee at three fifteen make sure you have that back to her by two forty five will say that it back here in committee at three fifteen measures to inform me that she will stay here in the committee room and she'll be right here for you to be able to turn your forms back in you might wanna take today's agenda she will be in case you just need to look back and try to help remind you of what the bill was presented by who so with that said this committee was in recess. Committee members it's three fifteen. Committee members it's three fifteen more Committee backed committee meeting is back from recess at this time uh. As I laid out earlier when the meeting began earlier today the results of that we were the process we were going to use that staff I'd like to share with the committee as the what your will has been as far as the maps than the proposals that's been presented to us. The The map of the proposal of the bill that receive the most points which house bill nineteen seventy one that was by representative speaks and they had received forty three point. The bill that received the second most points was house bill nineteen seventy. By representative Dotson the bill received twenty two points the bill that received the third most votes was house bill nineteen sixty nine a representative Gonzalez said bill received seventeen points so that is a vote total the most points at this time and of course The disclosure of representative or low Wardlaw you're recognized I have a motion if you would take it and what she put your motion hi motion that we adjourn to six PM our recess to six PM I think is a proper terms I'm sorry for the adjourn work and we come back at that time with a consensus behind representative speaks map that has received forty three points. That is a proper motion any discussion on the motion. Shea none all in favor say aye All opposed say no the ayes have it we will be back Committee will we will be made again at six PM right here in room one fifty one thank you Committee. Committee members. Committee members it's up six o'clock. So the chair is we're back in the committee meeting we recommend. And it this time we don't have a pet no further business to take up at this time so what we're going to do is adjourned and we will meet again here and state agencies upon adjournment of the session in the morning so I will now so that at the end of the session in the morning as to what time we'll be back in here so say no questions from committee members this meeting is adjourned.