LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There will be at least one lawsuit before new redistricting lines go into place.
The ACLU says the maps drawn by Republicans for the state house of representatives violate the Voting Rights Act.
According to their website, the ACLU believes the Board of Apportionment should have drawn at least four additional Black-majority districts.
“Arkansas has historically diluted the political power of Arkansas’ minority populations," said Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "If newly drawn maps aren’t updated to fairly represent all Arkansans, these communities will continue to face obstacles to meaningful participation in the political process.”
Two left-leaning groups, including the state NAACP, say the plan denies Black Arkansans an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
The case has been assigned to Federal Judge Lee Rudofsky, a Donald Trump appointee in 2019.