How they voted
Here is how the Douglas County legislative delegation voted Friday to advance the congressional redistricting map that would place a portion of Lawrence in the 1st U.S. House district.
Yes
TerriLois Gregory, R-Baldwin City
No
Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence
Anthony Brown, R-Eudora
Ann Mah, D-Topeka
Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence
Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, was absent due to having to appear at court hearing.
Topeka — A move to put a portion of Lawrence in the 1st congressional district advanced Friday but final approval of the measure in the House remained unclear.
The redistricting plan moved forward on a 56-54 vote, but to gain final House approval requires 63 votes, which is a majority in the 125-member chamber.
That final-action vote is planned for today, House Majority Leader Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said. Even if it is approved by the House, the measure would face a chilly reception in the more moderate Senate.
“I don’t believe this is a fair map for Kansans,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence. “If this was your community, you would say no,” Ballard told the House.
Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, said the proposal was “antithetical” to preserving communities of interest in congressional districts.
But Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, called the plan a “good map.” He said the House should approve it as a way for the measure to gain consideration for judicial review during redistricting challenges in court.
Lawrence is now divided between the 2nd and 3rd congressional districts. Under the proposal, north and east Lawrence would be placed in the vast 1st district, which covers western Kansas and most of central Kansas. The Kansas University campus area would be in the 2nd district.
In effect, the measure would put one of the most liberal areas of the state in one of the most conservative congressional districts in the country.
Democrats said the Republican-dominated Legislature wanted to dilute Democratic voting strength. Earlier plans pushed by Republican leaders would have split other Democratic areas, such as east Topeka and Kansas City, Kan.
Kinzer acknowledged those splits focused on Democratic areas, but said there were no political motives behind that. He said those areas were targeted to add population to the 1st district, which is losing population.
Democrats were joined by some Republicans in opposition to the plan. Some said they were unhappy that the proposed map would place Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth in different districts.
Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, offered an amendment that would have placed Douglas County in the 3rd District.
“This is not a political map,” Brown said of his proposal.
Brown’s amendment would have put the proposed federal bioterrorism lab, called the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF, in the 1st District, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler.
Some Republicans have argued that Huelskamp would be unable to protect funding of NBAF, but Brown disagreed with that. He said it was wrong for Kansas legislators to say that.
Brown’s amendment failed 44-67.
Rep. Mike Slattery, D-Mission, said public statements by officials indicated that the four U.S. House members from Kansas, who are all Republicans, had input on the proposed map. Slattery said it was a “protectionist” map intended to make it easy for incumbents to win re-election.
Comments
KansasConscience 1 year ago
Kinzer, O'Neill and The Guv all lie.
How does a disenfranchised citizen file a federal lawsuit?
hujiko 1 year ago
This is absurd! NO other metropolitan areas are being split in this plan but Lawrence. Pure gerrymandering. Expect lawsuits.
chootspa 1 year ago
"Kinzer acknowledged those splits focused on Democratic areas, but said there were no political motives behind that. "
What utter BS.
Katara 1 year ago
It smacks of a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar and denying it even though the cookie crumbs all over his face give him away.
Orwell 1 year ago
The wingnuts all rely on the George Costanza Rule: "It's not a lie if you believe it."
And they're willing to "believe" anything they need to believe in order to trample on democracy.
Hooligan_016 1 year ago
I really can't tell if they truly believe their actions are justified or they are just straight up lying with a smile on their face.
gccs14r 1 year ago
Yes.
sunflower-voter 1 year ago
When God talks to Rep. Lance Kinzer, He tells him to smite the Democrats.
sunflower-voter 1 year ago
And then God tells Lance to lie, lie, lie about it.
streamfortyseven 1 year ago
Go ahead, make Kansas a one-party state. No challengers for the Republicans, have one person running for each position... where have we seen this before? China, East Germany...
chalice2 1 year ago
Since this is a coup from the far right, I would say it's more like Nazi Germany, fascist Italy or Franco's Spain.
HutchSaltHawk 1 year ago
These folks are working for themselves, not us. Politics at work. Time to go Kinzer, O'Neal and others. Another fine example of trying to punish the Lawrence residents for being "thinkers" and not supportive of the right-wing rhetoric.
sciencegeek 1 year ago
I have to give you credit for using that name. Hutchinson is the place that gave us Speaker O'Neil, without whom none of this treachery could have been successful. At least your comment indicates that you don't support O'Neal now.
tomatogrower 1 year ago
I'm curious about what the people from Hutch are thinking of their rep. Do they believe him? What is the atmosphere there? Are they even paying attention?
mdlund0 1 year ago
I found a simple solution: I registered as a republican. Doesn't matter where they put me, now I can vote in their primaries and still against them in the general election. No sense being registered as a Democrat in this state.
oxymoron 1 year ago
I agree. I do the same.
queequeg 1 year ago
Yeah, that's working real well for the rest of us. Thanks guys.
weiser 1 year ago
That says all you need to know about liberal ethics.
hujiko 1 year ago
Before election: "Jobs, jobs, jobs"
After Election: "Go find a job somewhere else"
vertigo 1 year ago
Pot. Kettle. Kettle. Pot.
http://fox6now.com/2012/04/22/gop-leaders-hope-supporters-vote-for-fake-candidates-in-recalls/
Toto12 1 year ago
Sounds like you forgot to insert your suppository this morning. Why don't you go ahead and do that now. The nurse will be by soon to give you your meds.
mikekt 1 year ago
Did you expect something different from this KS legislative bunch? We pay the KS legislature ( & trust them ) to do the business of the State of Kansas! Well, it's not their jobs to do it but they have passed their "whatever's" against Islamic Law, which ( as a true-so what? ) is obviously not the US Constitutional Law of our Land or their problem to solve & they have advised the UN on just where they can stick it! Woo-Hoo!! What a Job from our KS legislative-do-nothings! Nothing like "Our-Bad-To-The-Bone-KS Legislators" who can't or won't do their own STATE PAID JOBS;...... and a Governor who needs a Psych. Evaluation ( along with G.W. Bush, who tax cut his way, to our present national debt problems! ) WHOO-HOOO! Or maybe it's YA-HOO-ES?! Perhaps they should give back their KS State Salaries & Benefits costed to our State (so far ), if they so refuse to do the pressing real business of running The State Of Kansas, preferring to do the agendas of the Right-Wing-Nut-Bags of the Re-Publican Partiers & The Koook Bros... That goes the same for the Democrats who have signed onto these pointless resolutions that frankly don't accomplish anything ( ZERO ) but pandering to our states' "Wealthy-Wing-Nut-Lunatic-Fringers" who seem to think that they can buy Government like they're buying a corporate addition, to have it & run it, as they please.
oldexbeat 1 year ago
I tell you again -- this has to do with that wingnut (fake conservative) Dr. Tim Huelskamp and the doctor wanting a place with good food. Had to include Lawrence -- also this allows Huelskamp to live in eastern Kansas to get ready for his next job as Senator Pat Roberts replacement. Just saying...this boy loves government money, benefits, free food, health coverage and all that USDA money coming to his family and friends in SW Kansas. He just can't stand living out here. He is the "smartest man" in his county he said. Now, at least, that won't be a problem when he moves to Douglas County.
And he has the simplest job in the government -- he is the guy that votes No on everything. Thinking not required.
DougCounty 1 year ago
Why would the politicos do anything other than what they just did? As the article just said, both Yoder and Jenkins had an opportunity to review the plan, and both apparently were quite willing to sell Lawrence down the river, no problem. Jenkins certainly complained when she was about to lose Manhattan to the Big First, but now not a single peep. To these conservative Representatives, Lawrence is a liability to their re-election, so why not get rid of it?
This is a prime example of why it is not a good thing to split a major metro area, because it is typically done to dilute its impact--period. Since it was already done here, I think Lawrence has always been the number one choice to split up again, and frankly, it sure looks like the only arguments our current Yoder and Jenkins made regarding us is: "we've paid our dues! Get that Lawrence piece of @*# out of my district and give it over to that junior representative out west!
Their silence speaks volumes.
DougCounty 1 year ago
Whose fault is all of this? Look no further: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/05/07/2057593/study-kansas-congressional-delegation.html
MJFarmermac 1 year ago
So the "me" party, sorry, the "tea" party adopted their name and symbol because a couple of billionaires convinced people it was their patriotic duty to keep their tax rates low enough to buy another yacht. In the meantime, all these tea party people don't seem to recognize that they are represented, just whining about taxes doesn't put you in the same category as the original tea party. And now this- this is an ACTUAL attempt to limit representation, to make dissenting voices count for less, and a REAL attack on liberty, and the "me," sorry! "tea" party is rubbing their hands together and grinning. What a bunch of complete hypocrites. I think that earlier loon is right- we should secede. If we can't be heard they should do without our tax revenues. A REAL LEGITIMATE tea party.
chigger 1 year ago
Lawrence used to be smaller. 60 years ago it didn't extend west of campus nor much south of 23rd st. I don't know what the district was then but the majority of Lawrencians were Republicans and their votes influenced the shape of the district. Now the town is almost 6 times larger. The newer suburbs may have political sentiments that are not as liberal as the barinwashed whiners. After Vietnam people started turning on and tuning out, then the town became more left. Now I hear whining about "unfair". Life is not fair. Grownups have to work for what they get and they are tired of disrespect for the law and a power hungry government. Local/state votes matter. If you don't like it - move to Kalifornia or Greece... signed a recovering Democrat.
vertigo 1 year ago
"Life is not fair."
But the process for deciding fair representation should be.
boltzmann 1 year ago
California is spelled with a C.
Signed,
A grown up who works for a living
yourworstnightmare 1 year ago
Chigger, it sounds like you do not like the modern Lawrence.
Maybe it is you who should move to Great Bend or Liberal or Dodge City if you do not like it.
none2 1 year ago
If he cannot spell California in English, imagine him struggling with conversational Spanish in SW Kansas.
yourworstnightmare 1 year ago
Embarrassing. The Kansas legislature if full of juveniles who delight in poking at perceived liberals like children on a playground.
Pathetic, and a gross dereliction of their office and duties as elected officials.
none2 1 year ago
If you don't like it, don't just comment here. Tell your representative.
Don't know who he/she is? Look it up:
http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/vote/
Acey 1 year ago
"Kinzer acknowledged those splits focused on Democratic areas, but said there were no political motives behind that. He said those areas were targeted to add population to the 1st district, which is losing population."
Maybe those folks out west got some schooling, and joined us. Maybe those folks who left moved to our district and got Evolved. How about that, Lance? When WE get our chance on the prairie, will our family get a nice big homestead, or a sod hut half underground?
Our kind 'll turn those 1st district neighbors around. We'll liberate 'em, fer shur.
MJFarmermac 1 year ago
CHigger- local/state votes matter? That's exactly what's at issue here- the attempt BY BIG GOVERNMENT to make certain votes matter less. Don't throw the big gov't boogeyman into an argument where the state govt is trying to marginalize dissenting opinion- it makes you look like a hypocrite. By the way I hate the lazy assertion that just because I'm a liberal I didn't work for everything I have and dont believe in hard work, and if Obama had even sniffed at disenfranchising republicans this way, they'd be waving flags on the streets- but you wouldn't call that whining- you'd call that patriotism, because your standards and ideals only extend as far as your party affiliation, no further.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 1 year ago
'New Black Panthers"
Your quotation marks are mismatched. I can only assume that's your way of indicating that you're referencing an urban myth in a desperate attempt to make yet another ""pointless" "point'?"
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