LITTLE ROCK — Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for Arkansas Governor, is calling on Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto new congressional maps passed by the state legislature. In a statewide editorial for Talk Business and Politics, Jones notes that Arkansas’s new congressional maps divide our largest county, our capital city, and our majority Black and Latino/a communities.
“The new district map breaks the majority of Little Rock’s Black and Latino/a voters into different districts. Sadly, the courts will be forced to address this issue, regardless of the original intent of the proponents’ bill. The current plan separates voters south of Interstate 30 from the rest of Little Rock. How can it be that some residents of Little Rock need different federal representation? What is fundamentally different about those areas of the city and of the county? The answer is simple. There isn’t a different need in those areas—there are different voters,” writes Chris Jones.
“Gov. Hutchinson knows this. He made reference to this very concern in a press conference October 6, 2021. He is also fully aware that this legislature is running up large legal bills for the state. Between anti-trans legislation, abortion laws and mask mandate bans, all of which have been challenged in court, the Arkansas legislature is burdening the state with legal bills that we shouldn’t be forced to pay. They are creating unnecessary chaos. These laws also harm our national reputation. Businesses do not want to locate or expand in a place where their workers cannot be safe, healthy, and heard.”
“At the end of the day, this power move costs all Arkansans–not just the communities directly affected. Our taxes will cover court fees as these maps are challenged. There’s a better way to spend this money. We could fix water infrastructure for farmers, expand broadband to every corner of our state, bolster rural hospitals, increase teacher pay, improve services for our homeless veterans, strengthen mental health programs, and invest in our small businesses. That’s where we should be focused. There are multiple other proposals offered that would keep all counties intact. There’s no logical reason to make such a costly error."
"Gov. Hutchinson is a reasonable man. He should veto this legislation.”
Read the full editorial here >>
The Arkansas Legislature passed both HB1982 and its Senate companion on Thursday. They have been sent to Governor Asa Hutchinson for final consideration. The governor has also expressed concern about the dilution of minority representation. Read more and view the new maps here.