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Lawsuit Claims Redistricting Weakened Black Vote In East Arkansas
James F. Valley
An attorney in Phillips County is filing a lawsuit in federal court over concerns that portions of the state’s legislative redistricting plan weaken the voting power of black residents. James Valley is a lawyer and the former mayor of Helena-West Helena. Valley says new boundaries for Senate District 24 split up communities of common interest and took away the voting strength of minorities in East Arkansas.
“It dilutes the voting strength of African Americans, because now [the district’s lines] go north of Interstate 40 in Crittenden County and take in what is essentially the whitest part of the county,” said Valley. “We believe it still violates the rights of the voters in the district to have a district where African Americans can’t elect a senator of their choice.”
In addition to Valley’s efforts to get the federal court to prevent an election from taking place in the district, Jack Crumbly, the sitting senator for the district, has joined the boundary dispute as one of several plaintiffs in Valley's lawsuit. Crumbly says the district’s lines lower the percentage of voting-age blacks from 58 percent to 53 percent and he wants an injunction forcing the state to redraw the districts.
Play the link at the top of the page to hear FM 89's interview with James Valley.
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