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Senate State Agencies panel fails to advance SB 743 redistricting map after contested debate
Summary
Senators debated Senate Bill 743, a proposed congressional redistricting map that splits parts of Pulaski and Sebastian counties and edges into municipal limits. Lawmakers disagreed over whether to pass a place‑setter map or spend more time tightening precinct‑level deviations; a motion to pass failed by voice vote.
The Senate State Agencies Committee considered Senate Bill 743, a proposed congressional redistricting map sponsored by Senator Jane English, but a motion to pass the bill out of committee failed after a contested debate and a voice vote.
Senator Jane English introduced SB 743 as a redistricting plan shaped by the 2020 census shifts, saying the map attempts to equalize districts to an ideal population of 752,881 people per congressional district. "I have here today Senate Bill 743, which is a redistricting map," English said, presenting district lines and the individual maps for each district.
Committee members focused on two technical and political fault lines: small deviations from the target population and whether municipalities and counties should be kept whole. The chair noted that reported deviations on the committee’s packet were less…
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