TOPEKA —Kansas legislators completed an override of Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a controversial congressional redistricting map.
(Click below to listen to portions of the debate on Wednesday)
On Wednesday afternoon, member of the Kansas House voted 85-37 to override the veto. The Senate vote Tuesday was 27-11 giving Republican leaders the two-thirds majority they needed.
The new map splits the state’s portion of the Kansas City area into two congressional districts, costing Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids some of the territory in her 3rd District.
The map also moves the liberal northeast Kansas community of Lawrence, home to the main University of Kansas campus, from the 2nd District of eastern Kansas into the 1st District of central and western Kansas with conservative communities six or more hours away by car.
In a statement from her office when she issued the veto Governor Kelly stated, “The process of drawing districts each decade is the core to ensuring that all Kansans have the opportunity to participate in their government and have their voices heard. The courts and the Legislature have established case law and criteria on how to draw Kansas districts fairly and constitutionally.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report