TOPEKA — Because of a series of battles between conservative and moderate Republicans, over the budget and redrawing the boundary lines for Congressional and legislative districts, the Kansas Legislature failed to meet the session’s 90-day deadline Friday and is going into extra innings this week. The battle over redistricting, pitting Gov. Sam Brownback and his conservative legislative allies who are seeking to redraw lines to ensure a conservative sweep this fall, and Republican moderates and a handful of Democrats, is the most intractable and there appears to be little chance of being resolved anytime soon, Bob Beatty, Washburn University political science professor and legislative analyst, told Kansas Information Network. Both sides have dug in and neither is willing to budget, he said. Because of the impasse, Sec. of State Kris Kobach announced that the filing deadline for state and national offices has been moved back to June 10 because the legislators missed one important reapportionment deadline. However, if the standoff continues, the state could have to postpone the political primaries. Kobach said today that he was scheduling a press conference Wednesday morning concerning redistricting and a pending federal court lawsuit.
Tuesday, May 15, 5 p.m.
