OTTAWA – Legislative redistricting came up multiple times in this weekend’s legislative coffee in Ottawa. For state representatives, it’s “been there, done that” for one group of lawmakers, but for the other group – the Kansas Senate, a heated battle is brewing and a local legislator is caught right in the middle. Under one proposal now under consideration, Sen. Pat Apple’s district, including part of Franklin County and Miami County, could be sliced and diced or combined with a Johnson County senatorial district. He calls the proposal disrespectful to local voters. The combination wouldn’t bode well for Franklin and Miami county precincts, because a senator would likely be elected from Johnson County; a senator most likely to be more concerned with Johnson County affairs, he said. A senator with a Johnson County perspective, which because of its tax basis, such a senator would be far more willing to consider property tax increases, wouldn’t find much in common in Franklin and Miami counties’ voters, he said. Apple said he’s written a letter protesting to the chairman of the redistricting panel to protest.
Monday, March 5, 8 p.m.
