Top court: Kansas Constitution allows partisan redistricting

(AP) — Kansas’ highest court has declared that the state constitution does not prohibit partisan gerrymandering. 

The justices split 4-3 Tuesday in explaining their reasons for previously upholding a Republican congressional redistricting law. 

The state Supreme Court issued only a brief opinion last month in approving the new congressional map. 

The new map makes it harder for Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids to win reelection in her Kansas City-area district. 

It also moves the liberal northeast Kansas community of Lawrence into a district with conservative western and central Kansas. 

The court’s majority said the Kansas Constitution permits legislators to consider partisan factors in redistricting.