The call for a special legislative session is gerrymandering at its finest

It was announced on Monday of this week that the Republican-led Legislative Coordinating Council had approved a plan for the state of Kansas to spend $460,000 (about half of $1 million) next month in November to fund a four-day special legislative session.

That is a bad idea because of the timing, the unnecessary spending of tax dollars and because there does not seem to be any widespread public support for it.

The topics to be discussed at this special legislative session could be addressed just as effectively at the next regular session of the 2026 Kansas State Legislature that will start in January, two months after the special session that is being planned.

Kansas taxpayers do not like it when they think state legislators are spending tax dollars frivolously, and this seems to be one of those times.

Kansas Republicans reportedly are pursuing a special session in November 2025 to achieve two main goals: 

*To redraw congressional districts. The main objective is to redraw the state’s four congressional districts to make it easier to defeat the lone Democrat in the Kansas delegation, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, it has been reported.

The specific plan would be to split Johnson County, a moderate Republican and Democratic stronghold, among multiple districts to dilute Democratic-leaning votes.

*To pass a law affecting gender markers on driver’s licenses. The special session would also reportedly attempt to pass legislation to prevent individuals from changing the gender marker on their Kansas driver’s licenses. 

The regular redistricting process typically occurs after the decennial U.S. Census. 

Republican leaders, however, are pushing for mid-decade redistricting.

What the state’s Republican leaders don’t seem to understand is that district borders won’t matter much at all if Republican political candidates get blamed for the frivolous, self-serving, spending of state tax dollars for a special legislative session designed to achieve purely political gain.

Some other Kansas Republicans have expressed hesitation about mid-decade redistricting. By adding the bill on gender markers, Republican leaders hope to build enough consensus among their party, however, to secure the two-thirds majority in the House and Senate needed to call a special session, it has been reported.

Republican leaders are pursuing the two-thirds majority necessary to call a special session and override a potential veto from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, who opposes the redistricting effort. Gov. Kelly has the power to veto any legislation passed during a special session.

This plan for a special legislative session has been met with strong criticism from Democrats, who call it an abuse of power and note that the issues are not what Kansans are most concerned about.

Gov. Kelly has called for public town halls to discuss redistricting, noting that the last process involved 18 public sessions. 

At least nine of the 50 states have adopted independent redistricting commissions through voter-approved ballot initiatives.

Other states also provide an avenue for voters to approve or reject redistricting measures, but the exact number fluctuates as procedures and laws change.

It’s times like these that we have to wonder why we allow elected politicians to control the redistricting process in this state.

The political party in power always gets its way, then when the other poltical party assumes power, it changes everything back so it can get its way. They call it gerrymandering.