Session of 2023
SENATE BILL No. 69
By Senator Corson
1-19
AN ACT concerning reapportionment; relating to congressional, state
senatorial, representative and board of education districts; imposing
requirements for the drawing thereof.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. The provisions of sections 1 through 4, and amendments
thereto, shall apply to any bill proposing a reapportionment plan for
United States congressional districts, state senatorial or representative
districts or state board of education districts.
Sec. 2. No district may be drawn primarily to favor or disfavor a
political party. No reapportionment plan shall have the purpose or effect of
favoring or disfavoring a political party.
Sec. 3. When drawing any reapportionment plan the legislature shall
comply with the following:
(a) The basis for the reapportionment plan shall be the most recent
official United States decennial census, and all voting districts, tracts,
block groups and blocks referred to in such plan shall mean the voting
district, tract, block group or block identified on the most recent official
United States decennial census;
(b) (1) all state senatorial, representative and board of education
districts shall be numerically as equal in population as practicable within
the limitations of census geography and taking into account all other
conditions set forth in this section. Deviations shall not exceed plus or
minus 5% of the ideal population for each district; and
(2) all congressional districts shall be numerically as equal in
population as possible;
(c) reapportionment plans shall not have the purpose or effect of
diluting minority voting strength; and
(d) subject to subsection (b):
(1) Districts shall be contiguous and as compact as possible, taking
into account all other conditions set forth in this section;
(2) because county boundaries are meaningful and counties
historically have been significant political units, county boundaries shall
be respected to the extent practicable;
(3) communities of interest, including social, cultural, racial, ethnic
and economic interests common to the population of an area that are
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probable subjects of legislation, shall be considered. Political party
membership and partisan considerations shall not constitute a community
of interest. The core of existing districts and the integrity and priority of
existing political subdivisions shall be preserved when considering
communities of interest to the extent possible, taking into account all other
conditions set forth in this section. It is recognized that some communities
of interest may be more readily accommodated than others, but the
legislature shall attempt to accommodate communities of interest
articulated by the residents of such area;
(4) districts shall be drawn to avoid contests between incumbents to
the extent possible, taking into account all other conditions set forth in this
section; and
(5) districts shall be easily understandable to voters.
Sec. 4. Any party aggrieved by a reappointment plan that does not
comply with section 2 or 3, and amendments thereto, may file an original
action in the supreme court pursuant to K.S.A. 20-101a, and amendments
thereto, or may participate as an intervenor party in any action pending
before the supreme court relating to the legality of a reappointment plan.
The supreme court may order such relief as may be necessary and proper
to correct noncompliance with sections 2 or 3, and amendments thereto.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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