Redistricting is far from the easiest political topic to understand, but it is one of the most important.

With so much news and disorientation — people are getting rich just to blur what’s real and what’s fake — we should come together and focus on protecting and promoting our own, genuine voices. In a democracy, that means protecting our vote.

I am not writing to share my thoughts or feelings about the shapes of Kansas’ voting districts. I am writing to remind Kansans about the lawsuit we paid for in 2022, and to spread the word about what is happening in the state today.

Bear with me through this saga.

Back in 2022, new map options based on the 2020 Census were presented to the legislature, as is laid out in Kansas law. After the 2022 map (drawn by Republicans) was accepted by the legislature, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed it. Republicans overrode her veto, and civil rights groups sued the state on the basis it violated constitutional freedoms.

Then-Kansas Attorney General (now Congressman) Derek Schmidt represented the State of Kansas in that lawsuit, and a district judge found the map to be unfair to voters in the Third Congressional District. AG Schmidt appealed the suit to the Kansas Supreme Court, where they overturned the initial ruling, so the map was allowed to stay.

It’s the exact same map we have today. For now.