Rarely does anything last for ten years in the world of politics. Presidential Administrations, Members of Congress, Governors, and State Legislators come and go in that amount of time. 

The one certain thing that does endure for ten years in politics is the process of redistricting.

At the beginning of the 89^th General Assembly in 2012, Benton County was represented in the State Senate by Senators Jim Hendren, Bart Hester, and Cecile Bledsoe, which happens to be the current representation for our County in the Senate today. The Benton County delegation to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2012 consisted of Dan Douglas, Sue Scott, and Jim Dotson serving their first terms in the House. Representatives Skip Carnine, Jonathan Barnett, Duncan Baird, Debra Hobbs, and Mary Lou Slinkard rounded out the Benton County delegation.  Of all these House members mentioned, only Jim Dotson remains in office today.

NWA’s Population Growth Creates Additional Legislative Seats

In September the Arkansas Board of Apportionment will receive population data from the United States Census Bureau for the purpose of drawing new legislative districts for the State of Arkansas.  Benton and Washington County are unique in that they will be the only counties receiving additional legislative seats, primarily based on the rapid population growth of this region.  No other part of the state will pick up additional seats, as most other regions in Arkansas have either maintained their existing population or lost substantial population.

Existing Benton and Washington County legislative districts will become more compact as new districts will be added.  The rest of the legislative map in Arkansas will likely expand in size. We now have Senate Districts in South Arkansas that go from the Louisiana line to Southwest Little Rock, and you can expect those districts to get even bigger this time around. House districts in East Arkansas will cover multiple counties and could take in more geographic area than some Congressional Districts.

August 5 Public Meeting Seeking Community Input

As Northwest Arkansas’s population grows so does the need for representation that reflects the changing demographics of our region.  If you think back to what Northwest Arkansas looked like ten years ago, it’s not hard to conceive what it could look like ten years from now. 

You will have an opportunity to determine just what your legislative districts may look like in Northwest Arkansas for the next ten years. On Thursday, August 5, 2021, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  The Board of Apportionment will hold a public meeting to seek input from the community at the Walmart Auditorium in the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies on the Campus of NorthWest Arkansas Community College.  The address for the Shewmaker Center is 1000 S.E. Eagle Way, Bentonville.

If you have an interest in who and how you will be governed over the next ten years, the Chamber’s Government Affairs Division highly recommends that you attend this important meeting. If you are interested in running for office, or if you have any questions, please contact Jon Moran at [email protected].