With redistricting at the Congressional level awaiting a federal court decision, the battle for new state Senate district boundaries is heating up.
The Senate Redistricting Committee is looking at three maps this week. Republicans have offered what they call the Liberty 2 map. It moves the west half of Wabaunsee County and part of Pottawatomie County from the 17th District as represented by Republican Jeff Longbine of Emporia to the 20th District as represented by Republican Brenda Dietrich of Topeka. Longbine believes this is the map that will find favor with the Redistricting Committee, and it’s the one he prefers.
Longbine would gain all of Morris County, now part of the 35th District, as part of that proposal.
Democrats have submitted a map called the Eisenhower map, which moves southeast Lyon County — including Hartford, Neosho Rapids and Reading — from the 17th District to the 12th District, currently represented by Republican Caryn Tyson of Parker. That map also has Longbine losing his territory in west Wabaunsee County while gaining territory in Chase and Morris counties.
Democrats have also submitted the so-called Bluestem map on behalf of the League of Women Voters. This map keeps Lyon County fully in the 17th District, but it also shifts the district south and west to cover all of Chase, Coffey, Greenwood and Morris counties as well as part of Marion County.
Proposed maps courtesy Kansas Legislative Redistricting Department. Current Senate 17 district map courtesy www.kslegislature.org.
