Today, the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council quietly approved $460,000 for a redistricting special session in the state’s FY26 budget, despite Democratic leaders receiving the budget only ten minutes before the meeting began. Even Republican Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi admitted during the meeting that he was unaware the funding was being approved.

“Instead of lowering costs, improving public safety, and creating jobs, Republican politicians in Topeka are quietly setting aside hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to gerrymander our maps and silence Kansas voters,” said Davids. “Kansans deserve transparency and fairness, not partisan schemes designed to protect the power of one political party. No matter what these politicians try to hide, I’ve always been clear: Kansans — not party bosses or politicians — should decide who represents them.”

During today’s meeting — typically a routine budget approval — the Republican-drafted FY26 budget was passed, including $400,000 for the redistricting special session and $60,000 for redistricting license fees. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, who is running for governor and seeking Donald Trump’s endorsement, downplayed the use of taxpayer dollars and brushed off Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes’ request for more details on how the funds would be spent. 

Background:

State Republican legislators are reportedly circulating a petition to call a special session beginning November 7 to gerrymander Kansas’ maps by splitting up Johnson County. During the 2022 gerrymander, however, state politicians promised to keep the county whole. Now, to gain an endorsement from Donald Trump, those same politicians are poised to go back on their word.

Davids, who recently called out state legislators for hiding details from Kansans, has faced this fight before. Former Senate Majority Leader Susan Wagle said at the time, “I guarantee you we can draw four Republican congressional maps.” But after the 2022 gerrymander, which was designed to make Kansas’ Third District as Republican-friendly as possible, Davids won the election by 12 percent and was re-elected last year by double digits.

Davids ran to serve the people of Kansas and remains focused on representing them in whatever capacity best allows her to do so. If the unprecedented mid-decade redistricting moves forward, all options remain on the table to ensure Kansans’ voices are heard.