There’s not much time to let lawmakers hear your voice before they redistrict Kansas

As the ranking Democrat on the Kansas Senate Redistricting Committee, I’ve spent the summer reading up, traveling to conferences and meeting with experts and professional staff to learn everything I can about this enormous responsibility and opportunity ahead of receiving population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

I’ve also learned about how redistricting has worked — or, most recently, not worked — in Kansas, in the hope that we don’t repeat the same mistakes this year. Last go-around, Republicans held majorities in both the state Senate and House, and then-Gov. Sam Brownback had his pen ready to sign their maps. Except he couldn’t, because the two chambers meddled with each other’s districts, letting petty feuds influence their maps and ultimately leading to an impasse.

The process was deadlocked for so long that the judicial branch was constitutionally obligated to step in and draw the lines itself ahead of the next election. Those are the districts we use today, and they’re the ones several Republicans have openly admitted to wanting to redraw to ensure one-party rule in the Legislature and our congressional delegation for the next decade.

Democrats on the committee are committed to fighting for fair maps. No, they aren’t a panacea that will lead to a Democratic majority in 2024. But they’re our democratic imperative. The system should lead to Kansans electing representatives who reflect their communities, not politicians hand-picking their voters. Districts dictated by data — rather than political calculation — lead to healthier connections to residents, stronger representation and better public policy. We should all hope these are common goals for legislators regardless of political party.

The legislative process is always messy, often disheartening, and, on occasion, deeply gratifying. I expect that the redistricting process will be no different, and I am hopeful that the committee will aim to keep it fair, collaborative and transparent. My colleagues know that I’ll hold them accountable when they fall short in these areas.

That means I’m not letting leadership off the hook for scheduling the upcoming redistricting town hall tour without even consulting their own members — let alone Democrats — before quietly releasing the dates to the public with a week’s notice. Kansans deserve ample opportunity to participate in this process, and kicking things off hastily and sloppily does not inspire confidence that transparency will be a priority when the work really picks up. I’m encouraged that Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman wants another round of town halls, but there’s no guarantee those will happen. That’s why it’s crucial that we hear from you at one of these 14 town halls already scheduled.

Yes, we need to know what you want your districts to look like, even though it’s impossible to know where specific shifts will happen without the census data (which, it’s important to note, are expected to be released Thursday). But at this point in the process, these town halls are the best opportunity to tell leadership what Kansans want and expect from the committee moving forward: fairness, transparency, accessibility and accountability.

I’m eager to visit with you in your communities and listen to your ideas, questions, and concerns about what the next decade should look like for our state. The town hall schedule is below. I hope to see you at one.

▪ Monday

9 a.m. in Manhattan: Kansas State University, Student Union Ballroom, 2nd Floor, 918 North Martin Luther King Boulevard, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506

1:30 p.m. in Salina: Kansas State University-Polytechnic, College Center Conference Room, 2310 Centennial Road, Salina, Kansas, 67401

6 p.m. in Hays: Fort Hays State University, Memorial Union Room 212, 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas, 67601

▪ Tuesday

9 a.m. in Colby: Colby Community College, Cultural Arts Center, 1255 South Range Avenue, Colby, Kansas, 67701

1:30 p.m. in Garden City: Garden City Community College, Tedrow Student Center, Endowment Room, 801 Campus Drive, Garden City, Kansas, 67846

6 p.m. in Dodge City: Dodge City Public Library, Lois Flanagan Room, 1001 North 2nd Avenue, Dodge City, Kansas, 67801

▪ Wednesday

9 a.m. in Hutchinson: Hutchinson Community College, Stringer Fine Arts Center, B.J. Warner Recital Hall, 600 East 11th Avenue, Hutchinson, Kansas, 67501

1:30 p.m. in Wichita: Wichita State University, Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 East 29th Street N, Wichita, Kansas, 67220

6 p.m. in Chanute: Neosho Community College, Room 209, Student Union, 800 West 14th Street, Chanute, Kansas, 66720

▪ Thursday

9 a.m. in Pittsburg: Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium, 503 North Pine Street, Pittsburg, Kansas, 66762

1:45 p.m. in Overland Park: Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66204

6 .p.m in Kansas City, Kansas: Kansas City Kansas Community College, Upper Level Jewell Hall, 7250 State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas, 66112

▪ Friday

9 a.m. in Leavenworth: Riverfront Community Center, Riverview Room, 123 South Esplanade Street, Leavenworth, Kansas, 66048

1:30 p.m. in Lawrence: University of Kansas, Capitol Federal Hall, Room 1111, 1654 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045

This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "There’s not much time to let lawmakers hear your voice before they redistrict Kansas."