A second lawsuit challenging the new Kansas congressional districts was brought in state court on Monday morning.
The ACLU of Kansas and the Campaign Legal Center are seeking to block the new congressional map, claiming it is a partisan and racial gerrymander.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of 10 plaintiffs who live in Johnson or Wyandotte counties and an additional plaintiff who lives in Lawrence.
The lawsuit argues that the new map cracks the most racially diverse county in Kansas in half in an attempt to dilute the voices of minority voters.
The lawsuit argues that the congressional map constitutes partisan and racial gerrymandering, violating different sections of the Kansas Constitution.
“This map is the product of a rushed legislative process that ignored the expressed concerns of hundreds of Kansans who spoke out at town halls and during hearings,” ACLU Legal Director Sharon Brett said in a statement.
“It is a brazen attempt to drown the political voices of Black, urban voters in a sea of white, rural voters for partisan gains.”
The ACLU lawsuit was announced less than an hour after a separate lawsuit was filed in state court on behalf of a similar group of plaintiffs.
