Panel endorses Kansas House redistricting plan

TOPEKA A Kansas House committee took little time Monday in endorsing a proposal to redraw the chamber’s 125 districts to reflect changes in the 2010 census.

The plan would collapse three current House districts and create three new ones in the Kansas City area.

Members advanced the bill on a bipartisan voice vote after barely 10 minutes of meeting.

House Speaker Mike O’Neal, chairman of the redistricting committee, said it’s possible the full House could debate the proposal this week.

One district each would be lost in southeast, southwest and central Kansas, reflecting the population gains over the past decade in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

The map does not pit incumbents against each other in summer primaries because the three current officeholders either plan to retire from politics or seek Senate seats.

O’Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, said that there could be some attempts at amending the bill on the floor but that such efforts are more difficult in full debate than in committee.

The Senate Reapportionment Committee is set to meet Wednesday to get its first look at that chamber’s proposal for drawing its 40 districts.

Later in the day, the full Senate will vote on a proposal for redrawing the state’s four congressional districts.

That plan extends the 1st District of western and central Kansas to the east, sweeping in Manhattan.

It puts all of Democratic-leaning Lawrence into Rep. Lynn Jenkins’ 2nd District of eastern Kansas.

The map would add a portion of Leavenworth County to the 3rd District, replacing Douglas County, to go along with Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

The 4th District would remain in the southern tier of counties, centered on Wichita.