Kansas governor signs legislature, board of education redistricting

Gov. Laura Kelly signed Friday new district traces for the Kansas Senate, Kansas Home and Kansas State Board of Training, although courtroom evaluation continues to be required.

There’s potential for a authorized problem to the board of schooling maps, officers mentioned earlier this week, with the brand new traces drawing outrage from members of the panel after they have been authorised final month.

The transfer comes as a set of GOP-authored Congressional maps are being challenged in state courtroom.

Extra:Attorneys lay out core arguments on Kansas redistricting as landmark trial nears its finish

Kansas legal professional normal to hunt approval for maps

The state Senate and Home maps have been mildly contested within the Legislature, significantly within the Senate the place the map will create a fourth, Democrat-leaning district in Topeka and Lawrence.

The traces might want to endure evaluation by the Kansas Supreme Courtroom and Lawyer Basic Derek Schmidt mentioned in an announcement he would “promptly” search their approval.

“The brand new legislative district boundaries seem to fulfill all authorized necessities beforehand established by state constitutional, statutory or frequent legislation,” Schmidt mentioned in an announcement.

State Board of Training Chair Jim Porter, board member Janet Waugh and schooling commissioner Randy Watson had met with Kelly earlier this week to lift considerations over a number of education-related payments that Kelly is both contemplating, together with the state board’s redistricting map.

After the assembly Porter mentioned it appears doubtless that Kelly is not going to veto the redistricted state schooling board map, because it’s tied to different redistricting maps.

However he mentioned he understands an out of doors group is ready to legally problem the maps within the Kansas Supreme Courtroom earlier than they grow to be legislation.

“In her message (if she passes the maps), we requested if she would point out that she disapproves of our map, and that will give us some standing,” Porter mentioned.

Extra:Some lawmakers concern new Kansas Board of Training redistricting map might result in conservative swing

Senate president desires conservative candidates for KSBOE

Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, mentioned the brand new board of schooling traces have been partially designed to interrupt up an entity he known as “monolithic,” saying it was his hope the brand new traces would possibly encourage a extra conservative slate of candidates to run for workplace.

“There’s some cause we’d like some some shake up and a few change on that board,” Masterson advised reporters final month.

However the brand new traces drew criticism from board members, together with cries of gerrymandering. The maps draw 4 incumbent members collectively and cut up the Kansas Metropolis space, with Wyandotte County divided into three districts.

A kind of districts additionally contains one Topeka-area district, Shawnee Heights USD 450, whereas the opposite Topeka colleges are consolidated right into a separate board of schooling district.

Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He may be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by cellphone at 443-979-6100.