Kelly vetoes KS redistricting proposal splitting Wyandotte County, calls for fair maps

[brooklynite]

Source: Kansas City Star

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly rejected a Republican-drawn congressional map on Thursday that would have split Wyandotte County, diluting minority voting strength in the Kansas City region. The decision will trigger a veto override attempt in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

The Democratic governor criticized lawmakers for failing to heed their own guidelines for decennial redistricting and the constitutional requirements for fair maps. The decision to divide the majority-minority county, Kelly said, came “without explanation.”

“The process of drawing districts each decade is the core to ensuring that all Kansans have the opportunity to participate in their government and have their voices heard,” Kelly said, in a statement explaining her first veto of the year. “I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map that addresses the constitutional issues in Senate Bill 355.”

The plan returns to the Legislature, where House and Senate GOP leadership have already signaled plans to attempt an override of the veto. Prospects for reversing Kelly’s veto are uncertain.

Read more: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article258025938.html

[Budi]

1. Do you know if that is Sharice Davids district?

Last I read was that the split the R's wanted would divide out her voting base.

Just hoping this is the veto that saves her.

[MuseRider]

2. It is part of her district.

[Rebl2]

3. Yep

and it could be overridden unfortunately.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Here in Ohio we voted for fair districts.

I repeat, we voted on it and won with 70%, but republicans still ignored it to the point two courts have sent it back for improvements. They're just saying "no".

[Maeve]

5. We also have a school funding system that was declared unconstitutional YEARS ago

Not that the lege cares about that, either...governing is HARD and so they don't.

[Lasher]

8. You probably thought you were getting an Independent Redistricting Commission.

What you got was the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Looks like your GOP Attorney General is the main culprit here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A dispute has emerged between Democratic state lawmakers and Republican Attorney General Dave Yost after the Democrats say Yost blocked their attempt to hire their own lawyers to represent them in the latest phase of state redistricting litigation.

On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Allison Russo and Sen. Vernon Sykes said in a legal filing that Yost’s office was denying them effective legal representation by arguing in favor of maps that Republicans approved and that Russo and Sykes voted against. The two Democrats, who serve on the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission, said an assistant attorney general assigned to represent them in the case had denied their request to respond to something Yost had filed before the Ohio Supreme Court.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/02/why-the-democrats-on-ohios-redistricting-commission-are-sparring-with-republican-attorney-general-dave-yost.html

[ColinC]

6. Ooo and I just noticed it has a liberal majority on the state supreme court. Did I see that right?

Do they have enough votes to overrride a veto, and if so what are the chances it won't be struck down by the court?

[Rebl2]

7. I think

it could be overridden easily unfortunately. Have no information who makes up the state Supreme Court.

[ColinC]

9. From ballotpedia

Make up of the state supreme court:

Judge Appointed By
Eric Rosen

Kathleen Sebelius (D)

Daniel Biles

Kathleen Sebelius (D)

Marla Luckert


Bill Graves (R)

Evelyn Z. Wilson

Laura Kelly (D)

Caleb Stegall

Sam Brownback (R)

Keynen Wall

Laura Kelly (D)

Melissa Standridge

Laura Kelly (D)