Kansas lawmakers have decided against holding a special legislative session this week for the purpose of redrawing the state's U.S. House Districts.
Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins made the announcement yesterday. Kansas Republicans had been considering the move in an effort to join the nation-wide movement in the battle for partisan advantage in the 2026 election. A special session would have likely targeted Kansas' 3rd Congressional District seat, currently held by Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation.
The Kansas constitution would have allowed the Republican-controlled legislature to bypass Governor Kelly's refusal to call a special session, but the move would have required a two-thirds vote by both the State House and Senate. The special session was controversial from the beginning with State Senator Virgil Peck stating that he had received lots of feedback both for and against the move.
However, yesterday's announcement doesn't necessarily mean the measure is dead. State Republicans would still have time to schedule a special session before the Legislature convenes for its regular session on January 12.
