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‘A great example of gerrymandering’

Kansas Republicans have pushed forward a congressional map that would divide Wyandotte County from Johnson County, threatening the state's sole Democrat in the U.S. House. A Kansas state senator from Wyandotte County says the plan would silence her racially diverse constituents.

A Congressional redistricting map in Kansas was approved by the GOP-dominated legislature, with lawmakers knowing it could face the veto of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Either way, the so called “Ad Astra” plan will likely end up challenged in court.

The map puts the liberal city of Lawrence in the same district as most of rural western Kansas, all the way to the Colorado border. And it divides up Wyandotte County, separating its voters from the urban and suburban Johnson County voters who make up most of the 3rd Congressional District.

Brian Ellison spoke with Senate Minority Whip Pat Pettey (D) from Wyandotte County about the map, as well as bills permitting prescriptions of off-label drugs for treating COVID-19 and the effort to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
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