Topeka ? Lawrence would be moved from the 3rd Congressional District into the 2nd Congressional District under a redistricting plan approved today by a state Senate committee.

Sen. Derek Schmidt, R-Indepndence, proposed the map, which will now go to the full Senate for consideration, possibly later in the week.

If the proposal becomes law, Lawrence would be represented by U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, a Republican.

Currently, Lawrence is represented by U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, the only Democrat in the Kansas congressional delegation.

Schmidt said putting Lawrence in the 2nd District represented a compromise between those who wanted to keep Lawrence in the 3rd District and those who wanted to split the city between both districts.

Lawrence officials wanted to keep the city in the 3rd District, citing economic and academic ties with the Kansas City metropolitan area.

But to keep Lawrence in the fast-growing district, lawmakers would have had to separate Johnson County from Wyandotte County, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said Gov. Bill Graves and Wyandotte County and Johnson County officials opposed that move.

“The choice was to split Lawrence and Douglas County or put it whole in the 2nd District,” Schmidt said.

The 2nd District also includes Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth and Kansas State University.

Schmidt’s proposal was vehemently opposed by two fellow Republicans on the Senate Reapportionment Committee. Those were Sens. Tim Huelskamp of Fowler and Ed Pugh of Wamego.

Huelskamp said the proposed map made other changes that would hurt U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Wichita, by moving Montgomery County, which is rich in Republican voters, out of his 4th Congressional District and into the 2nd.

“This is not supported by any of our congressmen and is not supported by the Bush administration,” Huelskamp said.

The committee made the recommendation also without any Democrats present. Democrats said they did not attend the meeting because it occurred at the usual time for their caucus meeting.