Kansas governor vetoes Republican-backed congressional map

Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a Republican-backed congressional map Thursday and called for a new bipartisan map.

The map, known as Ad Astra 2, would have made it more difficult for the state’s sole Democrat in Congress, Rep. Sharice Davids, to get reelected. Republican leaders in the state Legislature have indicated that they will attempt to override her veto.

“Several alternatives would allow for the same deviation as Ad Astra 2 while protecting the core of the existing congressional districts and without diluting minority communities’ voting strength,” Kelly said in a statement. “I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map.”

Last month, Republican lawmakers passed the map in the House by 79-37 and the Senate by 26-9. Republicans have more than the two-thirds majority in both chambers that Kansas requires to override a veto. In a joint statement, Republican leaders in the Legislature said they would try to override the veto and argued the map was fair…. (Excerpts from the Washington Examiner)