TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court had sharp questions on Monday for both sides in a historic fight over whether the state constitution prohibits gerrymandering that will decide the future of the Kansas City-area congressional district held by Democrat Sharice Davids.
The justices have never before ruled on a challenge to a congressional map, but a group of voters alleges Republican-drawn district boundaries passed earlier this year dilute the power of minority voters and violate guarantees of free speech, equal protection and the right to vote in the state constitution.
During arguments, the justices appeared to search for a standard to use to evaluate whether the map is unconstitutional. The state constitution doesn’t include any specific provisions about the once-a-decade redrawing of congressional districts following the U.S. Census.
