Kansas House Speaker Concedes Petition Falls Short; Redistricting Special Session Shelved
Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins acknowledged on October 20 that he had failed to gather enough support from his own party, and a special session planned for Friday to redraw the state's congressional districts will not take place, the Kansas Reflector reported. For two months, Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson had pushed for two-thirds of each chamber to sign a petition calling a special session to redraw the state's four U.S. House districts, aiming to drive Democratic Representative Sharice Davids from office. Masterson had announced he had the Senate Republican signatures, but a handful of House Republicans refused to join.
In a statement headlined "countdown to Jan. 12th," Hawkins called organizing the session an "uphill battle" given competing agendas and scheduling conflicts, while stressing that a supermajority of Republicans still want oversight of more than $1 billion in rural health care assistance and a conversation about redistricting. Masterson said the Senate would continue to deliver. Davids on Tuesday evening called the outcome "the first round in this fight against gerrymandering" won, and said she has not ruled out a U.S. Senate run if redistricting proceeds. Politico reported Monday that Davids met last week with California Senator Adam Schiff to discuss a possible Senate campaign. The fight is expected to resume when the Legislature convenes in January.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：堪萨斯州议会大厦（Topeka）。经 Wikimedia Commons 提供。Photo: the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, via Wikimedia Commons.
