Redistricting Kansas wastes money — and hurts rural and urban voters alike | Opinion

This spring, I wrote in The Star about how our leaders promised to help make life more affordable for Kansans. Families like mine are doing everything we can to stretch our dollars. We are cutting back on groceries, putting off home repairs, delaying vacations and holding off on replacing our old car. My family, like many others, hoped our elected officials would make life a little easier. But instead of focusing on lowering costs or improving education, some lawmakers are spending their time trying to change the political map.

Right now, certain politicians in Topeka want to bring the Legislature back for a special session. Are they going to lower taxes? Assist with child care costs? No. They want to change the boundaries of our congressional districts, the regions that decide who represents us in Congress.

Normally, these boundaries are updated once every 10 years after the census. The last time Kansas redrew its map was just three years ago, in 2022. That process is supposed to happen once a decade, not whenever people in power want to give themselves an advantage.

This same Legislature had the chance earlier this year to pass bills that would help Kansans keep up with rising costs. They could have worked on lowering property taxes, expanding access to health care or helping with child care and housing costs. But they didn’t. Now, they want to come back for a special session focused only on redistricting. None of that helps Kansas families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Most Kansans have more pressing things to worry about than political maps. But here’s why this matters: When politicians change the map, they change who gets a voice.

The current proposal would split up Johnson County. That means one community, which has worked hard to build schools, businesses and local partnerships, could be divided in ways that weaken our community’s voice. And if Johnson County is divided up, that doesn’t just affect people here. It affects the rest of Kansas, too.

Cost of groceries, health and child care

If rural counties are combined with suburbs, rural Kansans will have a harder time getting their issues heard. A representative who splits time between farming communities and large suburban areas will have to juggle two very different sets of needs. That makes it less likely that both will get the attention they deserve.

We already hear frustration from Kansans who feel ignored by people in Topeka or Washington. Changing the rules again will only make that worse.

It’s also a waste of time and money. The special session alone is expected to cost nearly half a million dollars. Redrawing the map mid-decade would take focus and resources away from the real problems facing families: the cost of groceries, health care and housing, the lack of affordable child care and the need to keep our neighborhoods safe. Those are the priorities Kansans care about — not political games. That money could be spent in so many other ways.

Fairness is one of our strongest Kansas values. We teach our kids that fair play means everyone gets the same rules. But right now, some politicians want to change the rules to benefit themselves. That’s not fair, no matter which party does it.

When politicians get to pick their voters instead of voters picking their politicians, it breaks trust. It means our votes don’t count the same. It means communities get divided for political reasons instead of being kept whole for commonsense ones.

This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. It’s about right and wrong. Kansans deserve fair maps and fair elections, not last-minute changes designed to help a few people stay in power or push others out.

If lawmakers truly want to represent us, they should spend their time helping families, supporting schools and protecting jobs — not manipulating the process to gain more seats. Kansas has weathered plenty of tough times. We’ve gotten through them by working together and playing by the same rules. We can do that again. But we need stability and trust in our system.

That starts with one simple idea: No new maps.

Let’s remind our leaders to focus on what really matters: making life better for Kansas families and ensuring every Kansan has an equal voice. Because when politicians listen to voters instead of silencing them, Kansas works better for everyone.

Ali Jones is creative and technology director for the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that does not lobby.