A lower court in Kansas threw out the state's GOP-friendly congressional map on Monday and ordered the state legislature back to the drawing board as the Aug. 2 primary looms.
Judge Bill Klapper ruled that the map engaged an"intentional, effective partisan gerrymander" and diluted the power of minority voters in the state. Republicans will likely face an uphill legal battle if they seek to appeal the decision to the Democratic-controlled state Supreme Court."The Buddha says the only consistent thing in the universe is change. One does not have to be a Buddhist to realize change is always taking place," Klapper wrote in the decision.
In 2020, the district voted for President Joe Biden by 11%, but under the new map would have opted for Biden by 4.5%, according to Dave Wasserman, a national elections analyst with the Cook Political Report. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the map in February, citing concerns about it diluting the voting power of minority communities, but the Republican-led legislature overrode her veto.
Referencing personal family experiences and cookie-cutter wisdom from the Buddha and others, Klapper sided with the plaintiffs and determined the map constituted partisan gerrymandering. He ordered the new map be drawn"expeditiously" in a 209-page ruling for the Wyandotte County District Court. Campaign Legal Center, which backed the lawsuit alongside the ACLU of Kansas and others, hailed the decision as"a win for fair maps" in the state.
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