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Redistricting

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Redistricting changes proposed
Friday, February 14, 2003
Having been through the carnage wrought by last year's redistricting battles, two senators are proposing a constitutional amendment to create a commission to redraw political boundaries.
"Reapportionment should be about our constituents choosing us, not us choosing our constituents," Sen. Derek Schmidt, a co-sponsor of the proposal, said Thursday.

Lawmakers propose revamp of redistricting
Friday, August 9, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Still smarting from bruising battles over redistricting, two lawmakers Thursday unveiled a bipartisan plan to remove — as much as possible — politics from the once-a-decade process of redrawing boundaries for legislative, state board of education and congressional districts.
"What we saw in this year's redistricting debacle is proof that asking legislators to draw their own districts creates an inherent conflict of interest," state Sen. Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, said.

Remapping appeal mulled
Saturday, July 13, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

A split Lawrence may not be a done deal yet. Tim Graham, the Lawrence resident who sued the state to undo the congressional district plan that divided Lawrence between two districts, may appeal a recent judicial decision upholding that plan.

Remap decision not a surprise
Sunday, July 7, 2002
It wasn't surprising when three federal judges moved quickly to uphold the state's new congressional districts and declared that communities of interest could be split up. Legal precedents had suggested Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall's challenge would fail.

Congressional map is valid
Thursday, July 4, 2002
By Joel Mathis

A panel of federal judges on Wednesday upheld the Kansas Legislature's plan that splits Lawrence between two congressional districts.
"This court cannot now replace the Legislature's judgments with its own," the three-judge panel said in an unsigned ruling.

Court hears redistricting objections
Wednesday, July 3, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

A three-judge panel Tuesday promised to rule quickly on whether the state's new congressional district boundaries are constitutional. "We recognize that time is of the essence," said Deanell Tacha of Lawrence, who is heading the panel and is chief judge of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Thornburgh calls for end to lawsuit over redistricting
Tuesday, July 2, 2002
A lawsuit filed about new congressional districts should be dismissed because the Attorney General's Office hasn't shown any voters were harmed, Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh said.

Democrats file suit against map
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Democrats filed a legal motion Monday that said newly redrawn congressional districts were unconstitutional because they split Lawrence between two districts.

Redistricting battle moves to federal court
Saturday, June 8, 2002
A federal judge plans to meet with attorneys Monday to set a schedule for resolving a lawsuit over the state's new congressional redistricting plan. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson is scheduled to meet with lawyers from the Secretary of State's Office and the Attorney General's Office at 1 p.m.

Democrats want lawsuit widened
Friday, June 7, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Democrats on Thursday sought ways to get the proposed congressional split of Lawrence before a federal court in hopes that the plan would be struck down.
On Wednesday, Kansas Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall filed a lawsuit alleging the congressional map approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bill Graves was unconstitutional because it placed Junction City in a separate congressional district from the nearby military post of Fort Riley.

AG asks court to draw districts
Thursday, June 6, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

A legal challenge by the Attorney General's Office to the new congressional redistricting plan may clear the way for a court fight over the proposed split of Lawrence.
On Wednesday, Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging the new congressional plan approved by lawmakers is unconstitutional because it places Junction City in a different district than neighboring Army installation Fort Riley.

A.G. asked to file redistricting lawsuit
Wednesday, June 5, 2002
Junction City residents upset over a congressional redistricting map passed by the Legislature have taken their case to the attorney general. Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall has been asked by a group from Junction City to file a lawsuit over the plan, which puts the military town in the 1st District and nearby Fort Riley in the 2nd.

Graves still unsure of redistricting plan
Friday, May 31, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Gov. Bill Graves said Thursday he had not decided whether he would sign or veto a congressional redistricting plan.
Graves said he opposed a part of the proposed map that would split Junction City from neighboring Fort Riley, an army base.

Challenge to map may affect Lawrence
Thursday, May 30, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

A move to keep Junction City and Fort Riley together in the 2nd Congressional District could have an effect on where Lawrence is split, officials said Wednesday.
Junction City and Manhattan officials were set to meet today with Gov. Bill Graves and urge him to veto the congressional map approved earlier this month by the Legislature.

Ryun hopes to retain spot in new 2nd district
Thursday, May 30, 2002
With the ink still wet on new congressional district boundaries, U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun filed for re-election Wednesday.
Ryun, seeking his fourth two-year term, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office and paid $1,451 in fees. He said he was pleased the 2nd District still contained Forts Leavenworth and Riley.

Elections could reflect new districts
Friday, May 24, 2002
In preparing for the Aug. 6 primary elections, Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh is assuming the four new U.S. House districts drawn by legislators are valid, despite the potential for a legal challenge.
But Thornburgh isn't ignoring the possibility of a federal lawsuit over congressional redistricting and even is researching a "worst-case" scenario in which his office would have to submit a redistricting plan in U.S. District Court. Thornburgh is the state's chief elections officer.

Chamber won't contest map
Thursday, May 23, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

When talk of splitting Lawrence between two congressional districts was discussed last year by lawmakers, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce officials denounced the idea and threatened legal action if it were approved.
Now the Legislature has split Lawrence, but the chamber of commerce probably won't do anything about it.

Split-Lawrence map approved
Friday, May 17, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Exactly a year ago, Lawrence officials asked state lawmakers at a meeting in the Douglas County Courthouse to keep Lawrence in the 3rd Congressional District.
It didn't happen.

Redistricting logjam continues
Thursday, May 16, 2002
The Senate rejected a House-passed congressional redistricting plan Wednesday night, setting off fresh efforts to create a map acceptable to both chambers.
The Senate voted 20-16 against the measure and sent it to a conference committee. Senate President Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson, promptly replaced the Senate's two Republican negotiators.

House offers new congressional map to Senate
Wednesday, May 15, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

While most of the record 104-day legislative session has been spent on the budget, resolution of a congressional redistricting plan also has proved elusive. Tuesday, some movement occurred.

Negotiators to meet again on mapping U.S. House districts
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
(Web Posted Tuesday at 11:25 a.m.) TOPEKA — With legislative negotiators unable to compromise, House members decided to debate a map redrawing the state's four U.S. House districts for a second time.

Panel can't agree on redistricting
Saturday, May 11, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Lawmakers were at an impasse Friday over congressional redistricting, and the question of whether to split Lawrence was at the center of the dispute. The legislators couldn't even agree to disagree.

Redistricting deadlock could alter primaries
Friday, May 10, 2002
The inability of legislative negotiators to agree on a plan for redrawing U.S. House districts has Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh worried about the state's primary election calendar.
Three senators and three House members appointed to draft the final version of a congressional redistricting bill didn't meet Thursday.

Lawrence split remains divisive issue
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Lawrence would be split between two congressional districts under proposals pushed Tuesday by Republican legislators. But the question is: Where would the dividing line be?

Committee to revisit redistricting today
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
A House-Senate conference committee is scheduled to meet today to try to approve a plan to redraw congressional district boundaries. The committee has done little work on redistricting since the overtime legislative session started May 1.

Split city may be inevitable
Thursday, May 2, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Lawrence most likely will be split between two congressional districts, key Republicans said Wednesday as the Legislature convened its overtime session.
Most of Lawrence now is in the 3rd District. But during the regular legislative session, the House approved a plan splitting Lawrence between the 2nd and 3rd districts, and the Senate approved a plan keeping the city intact in the 2nd District.

Praeger drawn into redistricting feud
Friday, April 26, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley blamed Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, for the failure of a redistricting plan that would have kept Lawrence in the 3rd Congressional District, and he urged Praeger to make amends by taking on Republican leaders and having the plan reconsidered.
"You owe more to the people of Douglas County who elected you to local and state office than you owe to the political hacks in Washington, D.C., who don't give a damn about the people of Lawrence," Hensley of Topeka said in a fiery 2 1/2-page letter sent this week to Praeger.

Text of Praeger letter to Hensley about redistricting
Friday, April 26, 2002
The following is the text of a letter concerning congressional redistricting from State Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, to Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.

Text of Hensley's letter to Praeger about redistricting
Friday, April 26, 2002
The following is the text of a letter concerning redistricting to State Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, from Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.

Where do we draw the line?
Sunday, April 21, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Redistricting has been called a political blood sport, and in Kansas it's wounding the state. The once-a-decade process of using new federal population statistics to redraw boundaries for legislative and congressional districts sounds about as dry as a summer breeze.

Justices review plan for redrawing House districts
Thursday, April 18, 2002
A Kansas House redistricting proposal continued its quiet ride toward becoming law Wednesday.

Plan puts city in 2nd District
Saturday, April 13, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

The Kansas Senate on Friday gave preliminary approval to a plan that would move Lawrence and Douglas County from the fast-growing 3rd Congressional District into a newly configured and more rural 2nd District.

Proposal changes education districts
Friday, April 12, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Lawrence will lose a creationist and gain an evolutionist under a State Board of Education redistricting plan.

House OKs redistricting as redrawn
Friday, April 5, 2002
Two days after the Senate broke a legislative logjam by passing a bill redrawing its 40 districts, the House approved the measure and sent it to Gov. Bill Graves.

Graves doesn't support city split
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Gov. Bill Graves would like Lawrence kept together in any congressional redistricting plan, but he is not going to demand that it happen. "I continue to believe there ought to be a way to get a map done where Douglas County is whole," Graves said of attempts by his fellow Republicans to divide Lawrence between two congressional districts.

Senate redistricting up for debate second time
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
A bipartisan coalition is pushing forward with a Senate redistricting plan despite a veto threat from Gov. Bill Graves. Today's scheduled debate would be the second time the Senate has taken up a bill redrawing the boundaries of its 40 districts to reflect shifts in population.

Kansas Senate redistricting stalls on Johnson County
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
A disagreement over how to draw boundaries in Johnson County is hindering progress on a new Kansas Senate redistricting plan. The Senate Reapportionment Committee planned to meet four days this week to discuss a new map. Two weeks ago, Gov. Bill Graves vetoed a bill redrawing the 40 Senate districts.

Map splits city voting precincts
Saturday, March 16, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

The Kansas House on Friday gave preliminary approval to a political map that would not only split Lawrence between two congressional districts, but also split a handful of voting precincts. "This sets a very bad precedent," said Rep. Troy Findley, D-Lawrence.

House tentatively approves congressional map that splits Lawrence
Friday, March 15, 2002
(Web Posted Friday at 1:03 p.m.) The Kansas House gave preliminary approval Friday to a congressional map that would split Lawrence between two districts. The 69-51 vote advances the measure to a final vote in the House scheduled for Monday.

Iowa back as city's dividing line
Thursday, March 14, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Lawrence officials Wednesday said a plan to split the city between two congressional districts represents politics at its worst. "This is embarrassingly partisan. This is bare-knuckle politics at its ugliest," said Douglas County Commissioner Charles Jones.

House panel endorses map splitting Lawrence along Iowa Street
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
(Web Posted Wednesday at 9:56 a.m.) A House committee Wednesday endorsed a political map that would divide Lawrence between the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts. But the endorsed map would divide Lawrence along Iowa Street instead of Massachussets Street, an option proposed Tuesday by the committee's chairman.

New reapportionment proposal in the works
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

The best-known street in Lawrence would be split down the middle in a new plan to redraw Kansas congressional districts. Despite protests from Lawrence officials, the chairman of the House redistricting committee predicted the panel today would approve the map that would leave the area east of Massachusetts Street in the 3rd Congressional District but move most of the city west of Massachusetts Street into the 2nd District.

New map would split Lawrence, put KU in 2nd District
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
(Updated Tuesday at 11:08 a.m.) A new congressional redistricting map would not only split the city of Lawrence, but it would put Kansas University's Lawrence campus in the 2nd District.

Graves gives OK to House redistricting
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Gov. Bill Graves signed a measure Monday redrawing the 125 districts of the Kansas House, sending the map to the state Supreme Court for review. The map reflect shifts in the population as reported in the 2000 Census. The House passed it overwhelmingly, and it was approved by the Senate without debate.

House map on its way to Graves
Friday, March 8, 2002
A bill redrawing the Kansas House districts won Senate approval Thursday and is on its way to Gov. Bill Graves.
Graves is expected to sign the measure, which cleared the Senate 39-1 with only Sen. Dave Corbin, R-Towanda, voting against it.

House redistricting moves forward
Thursday, March 7, 2002
The Senate gave tentative approval Wednesday to a bill redrawing Kansas House districts and discussed how to respond to Gov. Bill Graves' veto of a proposed new Senate map.
The Senate must approve the House redistricting proposal on final action, scheduled for today, before it can go to Graves. He is expected to sign the bill.

Graves uses veto pen on Senate redistricting
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

In a move widely viewed as a bailout of his moderate Republican allies, Gov. Bill Graves on Tuesday vetoed a Senate redistricting plan that had been passed by a coalition of Democrats and conservative Republicans.
• Extra online-only: Text of governor's veto message

Text of Graves veto message on Senate redistricting bill
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Here is the text of Gov. Bill Graves' veto message on a bill redrawing
Kansas Senate districts:

Graves vetoes Senate redistricting map
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
(Updated Tuesday at 9:57 p.m.) Gov. Bill Graves on Tuesday vetoed a Senate redistricting plan that was put together by a coalition of Democrats and conservative Republicans. The action will likely ignite an already contentious legislative session in which lawmakers are facing a record budget shortfall.
• Extra online-only: Graves' veto message

Senate redistricting plan passes House
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
The House gave first-round approval Monday to a bill that redraws the state's 40 Senate districts — and puts Gov. Bill Graves in a serious political bind. There was no debate on the bill, which advanced on a voice vote. Final House action was set for Tuesday, and leaders expect the measure to go to Graves.

National GOP has hand in races, redistricting
Monday, February 25, 2002
Kansas gave rise to such GOP heavyweights as Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum Baker. Kansas voters chose President George W. Bush, 58 percent to Al Gore's 37 percent. The Kansas delegation to Congress has five Republicans and only one Democrat.
National party leaders rarely worry about such a reliably Republican state. But lately, they've been getting involved in a Kansas U.S. House race and making suggestions about the redrawing of Kansas congressional boundaries.

City's fate at center of redistricting talks
Monday, February 18, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Will Lawrence be politically sliced and diced?
After a bruising week settling their own legislative district boundaries, state lawmakers this week will turn their attention to re-drawing congressional district maps.

Lawrence to become part of 2nd District under congressional map change
Monday, February 18, 2002
(Web Posted Monday at 2:01 p.m.) Lawrence would be moved from the 3rd Congressional District into the 2nd Congressional District under a redistricting plan approved today by a state Senate committee.

Legislative chambers redraw their maps
Friday, February 15, 2002
A coalition of Democrats and conservative Republicans pushed a redistricting bill through the Senate on Thursday over the objections of the chamber's GOP leaders.
Meanwhile, the House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill redrawing the chamber's 125 districts, with a few members still unhappy about the process as a whole and their own futures in particular.

Kansas House approves map redrawing its 125 districts
Thursday, February 14, 2002
House members on Thursday approved a redistricting bill redrawing the chamber's 125 districts.

Minority plan wins initial approval in GOP Senate
Thursday, February 14, 2002
A bipartisan coalition rewrote a Senate redistricting bill Wednesday, leaving some Republicans stunned that a certain victory had eluded them. The Senate voted 21-19 for a plan drafted by Ed Pugh, R-Wamego, to redraw the 40 districts .

Democrat sacrifices spot for redistricting map plan
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

In the political fight of the decade, Kansas Democrats are begging for mercy, and somehow Laura McClure, a Democratic legislator from western Kansas, is on the sacrificial altar.

House panel OKs redistricting
Thursday, February 7, 2002
With grudging acceptance from minority Democrats, a House committee endorsed a bill Wednesday redrawing the chamber's 125 districts and sent it to the floor for debate next week.

No decision made on redistricting
Wednesday, February 6, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Senate Republicans failed Tuesday to recommend a congressional redistricting plan, giving Democrats hope of increasing support for their proposal, which would keep Lawrence in the 3rd Congressional District.

Redistricting committee considering six maps
Tuesday, February 5, 2002
A Senate committee redrawing Kansas' four congressional districts now has six proposed maps to consider. At a hearing Monday, no members of the Senate Reapportionment Committee expressed support for a map created by a 34-member legislative panel that spent months gathering public opinion.

Redistricting plan nears completion
Monday, February 4, 2002
House members spent last week negotiating over lines on a map as they continued reshaping their 125 districts for the next 10 years.

Negotiations continue on state redistricting
Friday, January 25, 2002
Bipartisan negotiations over congressional and legislative redistricting continued Thursday, and Gov. Bill Graves predicted that lawmakers would resolve the issue quickly.

East side remains in 1st District
Thursday, January 17, 2002
By Chad Lawhorn

East Lawrence will remain in the county commission's 1st District after a neighborhood association president said that seemed to be the consensus of residents. Douglas County commissioners Wednesday evening unanimously agreed on a redistricting plan to satisfy state and federal laws that districts be adjusted once a decade to ensure they are approximately equal in population.

East Lawrence representation is sore spot
Monday, January 14, 2002
By Chad Lawhorn

East Lawrence's place in county politics will be up for grabs this week as part of the county commission's once-a-decade redistricting process, but key neighborhood leaders said they still aren't sure what to think of the possible changes.
Commissioners at their Wednesday evening meeting are scheduled to have their first, and perhaps last, public hearing on redrawing the boundary lines for the three districts.

Moore sees merit of retaining city in his district
Saturday, January 5, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., said Friday there would be personal advantage to retention of Lawrence in his congressional district, but he wouldn't mind sharing the city with Republican Rep. Jim Ryun.

Redistricting proposal groups North Lawrence with eastern cities
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
By Scott Rothschild

North Lawrence would be connected to Eudora, Desoto and the Johnson County suburbs in a new legislative district under a proposed state House redistricting plan. The proposal, pushed by Republicans, will be considered Thursday during a meeting of a redistricting committee in the Capitol.

GOP releases redistricting plan
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Republicans have outlined their proposal for redrawing the state's 125 House districts. Under their plan, two incumbents would live in each of five districts. The proposal was drafted by GOP House members who serve on the 34-member Special Committee on Redistricting.

Two district maps considered
Tuesday, December 4, 2001
By Chad Lawhorn

County commissioners Monday narrowed their choices to two redistricting proposals that would reorganize county representation in certain sections of Lawrence.
Changes for parts of East Lawrence, Kansas University dormitories, West Lawrence and Wakarusa Township are in store depending which of the two plans commissioners choose.

District will keep same boundaries
Tuesday, December 4, 2001
By Tim Carpenter

The Lawrence district's gerrymandered school boundaries are safe for now.

Redistricting may give Lawrence additional clout
Thursday, November 29, 2001
By Scott Rothschild

Lawrence will probably gain political clout under legislative redistricting plans under consideration. But a map showing the proposed boundaries of the 125 House districts and 40 Senate districts may be a couple of weeks away, officials said Wednesday.

Redistricting revives partisanship
Wednesday, October 17, 2001
By David Broder
Washington Post Writers Group

Out of sight but not out of mind is the apt description for politics in America at this moment. The focus on terrorism has made partisanship unfashionable.

Redistricting plan divides GOP
Friday, October 5, 2001
Three prominent Republicans are criticizing a congressional redistricting plan drafted by members of their party because of its treatment of the Lawrence and Junction City areas.
The proposal would put Junction City and neighboring Fort Riley into different districts and do the same for Kansas University and much of Lawrence.

Redistricting panel approves split city
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
By Scott Rothschild

Republican legislators voted Tuesday to split Lawrence between east and west, leaving Kansas University and eastern Lawrence in one congressional district and moving western Lawrence into another.

Redistricting plan splits Lawrence
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
(Updated Friday at 5:12 p.m.) Republicans have drafted a plan that puts the University of Kansas and most of Lawrence in different congressional districts and separates Fort Riley from Junction City.