Arkansas redistricting

The state Board of Apportionment has approved Gov. Mike Beebe’s redistricting proposals for the state House and Senate.

The board that is made up of Beebe, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and Secretary of State Mark Martin voted 2-1 Friday for Beebe’s plan. Beebe and McDaniel voted for the plan while Martin cast the no vote.

See the plans.

Beebe and McDaniel are Democrats. Martin is a Republican.

Among the features of Beebe’s plan is a reduction in the number of majority black House districts from 13 to 11 and keeping the number of majority black Senate districts at four. Martin’s plan would’ve increased the number of majority black districts to 15.

Beebe and McDaniel argued that increasing the number of majority-black districts could dilute the black vote in majority white districts.

The board meets every 10 years after the Census to determine new districts based on population changes.

Martin said redistricting coordinator Joe Woodson would spend the next 30 days breaking the data down to the block level for the benefit of the counties.