Senate passes 'controversial' redistricting map 26-9
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Following the senate panel approved version of a controversial map, called “Ad Astra” on Thursday, and a round of simultaneous hearings in both the Senate and House Redistricting committees, the Senate passed the controversial redistricting plan 26-9.
The Republican push to remove Democratic voters from the state’s swing congressional district did not go over well with residents of two close-knit counties caught in the mix.
The map removes the northern half of Wyandotte County from the state’s 3rd Congressional District, currently held by Representative Sharice Davids, who is the only Kansas democrat in Congress.
“It is a classic example of gerrymandering,” Mike Taylor, a representative for Voter Rights Network in Wyandotte County, said.
During a round of hearings in the House and Senate Redistricting committee, Kansas City metro area residents urged lawmakers to keep both Wyandotte and Johnson county intact, with some calling Republican lawmakers’ “disregard” for following through “troubling.”