Senate panel advances House Bill 19-82 after brief hearing; voting-rights advocate warns of minority vote dilution

The Senate State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs Committee voted to advance House Bill 19-82, described by the sponsor as the Senate’s earlier SB 743, after a brief hearing and a public comment from a voting-rights advocate.

Senator Jane English, the Senate sponsor of the companion, told the committee HB 19-82 is "the exact replica" of SB 743 previously passed out of the Senate. Laurie Evans, representing Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas, testified that the bill’s map would reduce representation for metropolitan Pulaski County communities and criticized the hearing schedule and limited public-notice options.

Evans said the plan "carves out 13 precincts" that she identified as containing roughly 37,599 Central Arkansans and said the carved precincts are "39% white and 71% minority," citing 2020 Census data. "Any lack of public testimony against HB 19-82 is not evidence of opposition to it," Evans told the committee, and she added that many Arkansans outside the Little Rock region lacked meaningful opportunity to comment because there were no online hearings and some bills were filed with short notice.

The committee chair responded that the committee had held several meetings and that people had come to speak against various maps at earlier sessions. After Senator English closed, Senator Hester moved to pass the bill and Senator Garner seconded. The committee took a voice vote; the chair announced, "The bill passes," and said HB 19-82 would be transmitted to the Senate floor and calendared, likely when the chamber convenes at 9 a.m. the next day. No numeric roll-call tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

The hearing record on the bill as reflected in the committee transcript includes the sponsor’s presentation, one public comment expressing concerns about notice and minority voting impact, and a committee voice vote to advance the companion bill to the floor.