Opinion

This week the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives both passed the “Ad Astra 2” Congressional map as part of the every-10-years redistricting process that is happening across the nation. Depending on what you read or listened to, this map was either the best solution possible or a flat-out gerrymander, with little opinions in between. The League of Women Voters of Kansas (LWVK) does not support the Ad Astra 2 Congressional map due to issues that go beyond these talking points. We believe the best and fairest districts are based on input from the people who reside in them and the process of drawing Ad Astra 2 did not take that into consideration to the extent possible. We also never learned how this map was created or why decisions were made. A map created behind closed doors should not be allowed to guide our state’s future.

Like it or not, Kansas must redraw its congressional district lines. The Topeka Capital-Journal’s Andrew Bahl reports four proposals were introduced in the House Redistricting Committee, two by Republicans, one by Democrats and a fourth by the League of Women Voters.

My wife and I observed the King birthday holiday this week by zooming in to the “Whose Dream Is It?” event provided by the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice and co-sponsored by Living the Dream Inc. and The Brown V. Board National Historic Site. We extend our appreciation to all of those who worked together to make this fine presentation for our community as an opportunity to remember the legacy of Dr. King.

Nicholas Sandmann and Kyle Rittenhouse are two American teenagers who fate propelled into circumstances beyond their years, yet both acted with a maturity and restraint under intense pressure that highly trained adults have often mishandled.

There’s no love lost between Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a top health adviser to President Joe Biden.