Kansas 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2456 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	Session of 2023
2	2	HOUSE BILL No. 2456
3	3	By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
4	4	3-9
5	5	AN ACT concerning reapportionment; relating to congressional, state
6	6	senatorial, representative and board of education districts; imposing
7	7	requirements for the drawing thereof.
8	8	Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
9	9	Section 1. The provisions of sections 1 through 4, and amendments
10	10	thereto, shall apply to any bill proposing a reapportionment plan for
11	11	United States congressional districts, state senatorial or representative
12	12	districts or state board of education districts.
13	13	Sec. 2. No district may be drawn primarily to favor or disfavor a
14	14	political party. No reapportionment plan shall have the purpose or effect of
15	15	favoring or disfavoring a political party.
16	16	Sec. 3. When drawing any reapportionment plan the legislature shall
17	17	comply with the following:
18	18	(a) The basis for the reapportionment plan shall be the most recent
19	19	official United States decennial census, and all voting districts, tracts,
20	20	block groups and blocks referred to in such plan shall mean the voting
21	21	district, tract, block group or block identified on the most recent official
22	22	United States decennial census;
23	23	(b) (1) all state senatorial, representative and board of education
24	24	districts shall be numerically as equal in population as practicable within
25	25	the limitations of census geography and taking into account all other
26	26	conditions set forth in this section. Deviations shall not exceed plus or
27	27	minus 5% of the ideal population for each district; and
28	28	(2) all congressional districts shall be numerically as equal in
29	29	population as possible;
30	30	(c) reapportionment plans shall not have the purpose or effect of
31	31	diluting minority voting strength; and
32	32	(d) subject to subsection (b):
33	33	(1) Districts shall be contiguous and as compact as possible, taking
34	34	into account all other conditions set forth in this section;
35	35	(2) because county boundaries are meaningful and counties
36	36	historically have been significant political units, county boundaries shall
37	37	be respected to the extent practicable;
38	38	(3) communities of interest, including social, cultural, racial, ethnic
39	39	and economic interests common to the population of an area that are
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75	75	36 HB 2456 2
76	76	probable subjects of legislation, shall be considered. Political party
77	77	membership and partisan considerations shall not constitute a community
78	78	of interest. The core of existing districts and the integrity and priority of
79	79	existing political subdivisions shall be preserved when considering
80	80	communities of interest to the extent possible, taking into account all other
81	81	conditions set forth in this section. It is recognized that some communities
82	82	of interest may be more readily accommodated than others, but the
83	83	legislature shall attempt to accommodate communities of interest
84	84	articulated by the residents of such area;
85	85	(4) districts shall be drawn to avoid contests between incumbents to
86	86	the extent possible, taking into account all other conditions set forth in this
87	87	section; and
88	88	(5) districts shall be easily understandable to voters.
89	89	Sec. 4. Any party aggrieved by a reappointment plan that does not
90	90	comply with section 2 or 3, and amendments thereto, may file an original
91	91	action in the supreme court pursuant to K.S.A. 20-101a, and amendments
92	92	thereto, or may participate as an intervenor party in any action pending
93	93	before the supreme court relating to the legality of a reappointment plan.
94	94	The supreme court may order such relief as may be necessary and proper
95	95	to correct noncompliance with sections 2 or 3, and amendments thereto.
96	96	Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
97	97	publication in the statute book.
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