NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even though it looks like bipartisan consensus has been reached on the state house and state senate redistricting maps, the Kansas Attorney General's Office still has litigation to deal with when it comes to the state's Congressional maps. That litigation is going to start in district court in the counties where the suits have been filed, Wyandotte and Douglas.
"We're going to have to litigate it in state District Court," said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. "Then, there will inevitably be an appeal to the state Supreme Court by whichever side loses in the district court. That's going to stretch out the time line."
There isn't a ton of time to get these maps done, the candidate filing deadline is June 1.
"Federal law sets out the timelines and rules for mailing ballots to military voters who are overseas," Schmidt said. "You have to comply with that law so that our deployed service personnel who vote in Kansas have the ability to receive their ballots and get them back before the primary in August."
In case there is a primary on August 2 for any of the congressional seats, 45 days before that election would be June 18. That's a Saturday, so the last business day before that 45 days would be Friday, June 17.
"This really needs to be wrapped up, I hope in April," Schmidt said. "May is pushing it, but we can make that work. If we get into June, that would be trouble."
Schmidt is confident that whatever you think about the maps from a political perspective, they follow the rules as the legislature knew them when they voted on it, but it remains to be seen what state courts might do. There is already precedent that if the U.S. Supreme Court gets involved, they might allow the maps to stand for 2022 while briefing for full argument after that, but Schmidt doesn't think the case will go that far.