TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas legislators are close to approving plans for new state House and Senate districts that have bipartisan support even though they're expected to preserve Republican supermajorities.
The House on Wednesday added proposed boundaries for its members' districts to a Senate-passed bill that revised senators' districts. House members passed the legislation, 112-9.
Legislative leaders plan to have House and Senate negotiators next week add a plan for new State Board of Education districts. The package would then face an up-or-down vote in each chamber to send it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Lawmakers redraw the lines every 10 years to make districts as equal in population as possible after a decade of population shifts.
Republicans said the new maps are likely to keep roughly the same GOP majorities of 29-11 in the Senate and 86-39 in the House.
But not all Republicans are happy.
GOP Reps. Tatum Lee and Jim Minnix, of Scott City would share a district. Top Republicans said declining population required western Kansas to lose a district and it was fairest to put two freshmen together.
Lee argued it was retaliation for her clashing with GOP leaders on "a plethora of issues."
"I've continued to stand for liberty for Kansas, and if liberty is offensive to some, I guess we'll deal with it at the polls," she said.
