Kansas Considers Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform

According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, state legislators in Kansas are considering enacting redistricting reform that would make non-partisan legislative staff the ones responsible for drawing the lines for State Legislative, Board of Education, and Congressional Districts in the state. Legislative leaders in both houses and parties have gotten on board, with the only notable holdout being the Republican Speaker of the Kansas house.

The idea is to assign the task of drawing new districts, based on results of the 2010 census, to nonpartisan legislative staff members. Conflicts would be resolved by a commission of two Democrats and two Republicans, with the fifth member of the commission chosen by the other four.

Final maps would be presented to the Legislature for an up-or-down vote. Alteration of maps by the House and Senate would not be allowed. If the Legislature rejected the maps, the legislative staff and commission would develop an revised plan for consideration by lawmakers.

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