Maps and figures displayed Tuesday night at a public meeting organized by the Arkansas Board of Apportionment (ABA) show the Twin Lakes Area caught between exploding populations in northwest Arkansas and the Little Rock metro area and cratering populations in the Delta and southern Arkansas.
The ABA consists of the governor, attorney general and secretary of state and is charged with redrawing the district maps for the state’s House of Representatives and Senate. The redrawing is a once-a-decade process tied to population numbers collected by the U.S. Census.
Tuesday night’s meeting at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center was the second of eight public meetings scheduled around the state to answer public questions about the process and solicit public comments from the community. The meeting was attended by about 50 people, including state Rep. Jack Fortner of Yellville, several Baxter County elected officials and at least three area mayors.