Northwest Arkansas would get the state’s first majority Hispanic House district under the map revealed Friday by the state Board of Apportionment.
Also, Benton County would gain a state Senate seat centered on Bella Vista, the maps show. Another new Senate district would cover southern Washington County and much of Crawford County.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the number of districts where minorities represent the majority in state legislative districts would grow from 11 to 13 under the proposed maps. A majority Black district in Pulaski County and the majority Hispanic district would result in this increase, maps show.
Benton and Washington counties would have six state Senate seats under the proposal, growing from five, all within the borders of the two-county area. The shift in representation comes because of population growth in the Northwest corner, U.S. Census figures show. In the River Valley, the census showed populations in districts stayed stable, would see fewer changes in boundaries there.
The apportionment board consists of the governor, the attorney general and the secretary of state. Legislative district lines are redrawn by the board every 10 years after each U.S. Census. The process is supposed to ensure equal representation for Arkansans between the state’s 100 House districts and 35 Senate Districts. The board revealed its maps at a meeting Friday and will take public comment on the proposed new boundaries for the next 30 days.
Ten years of growth made districts in Benton and Washington counties the most over-populated in the state. Three House districts in Benton County had more than 43,000 people each within existing district boundaries. The new maps, if approved, will average 30,115 people each.
