Redistricting reshuffles representation

With Kansas' state and federal legislative and congressional lines redrawn by the federal court, a bevy of new candidates and territories has cropped up.

Because lawmakers could not come to an agreement on redrawing districts for U.S. Representative, Kansas House and Senate and Kansas State Board of Education, a four-judge panel from the U.S. District Court for the State of Kansas in Kansas City, Kan., did it for them.

A two-day hearing was conducted May 29 and 30 and a decision was rendered June 7, said Kay Curtis, director of public affairs and legal publications for the Secretary of State's Office in Topeka.

In the process, candidates' territories and the positions they're running were reshuffled.

The primary is Aug. 7 to determine which Republicans will face Democratic challengers, if they have one.

The general election is set for Nov. 6. Those in office now will retain their posts until Jan. 14, 2013, Bourbon County Clerk Joanne Long said.

Incumbent state House Rep. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, has filed for the newly created state Senate District 12. And she has company -- Republican John C. Coen and Democratic hopeful Denise Cassells of Mound City have also filed for the Senate spot.

Some familiar faces are running for the District 4 House seat, currently held by Tyson. Local auctioneer Marty Read has filed, as has former Democratic State Rep. Shirley Palmer, now serving as chairwoman of the Bourbon County Democratic Party.

Former state Rep. Lynne Oharah had filed to run, but withdrew. "I was being a good Republican; it's party first not self," said Oharah, of Uniontown.

Redistricting created the new 12th Senate district, which includes Allen, Anderson, Franklin, Linn, and parts of Bourbon and Miami counties.

The move left Tyson with 6 percent of her old district, while more than 85 percent of her House district is in the new Senate district. Tyson was surprised by the territory change. "It was unexpected," she said. "I had no intention of running for anything except the District 4 House seat. Friday morning, I received several calls asking me if I was going to run for the Senate. The majority of my House district is now in the Senate district, so it just made sense to run for the Senate," she said.

She said her message will continue to be the same as it has been.

"Our state has lost jobs, opportunity, and optimism. We need to turn Kansas around. What I offer as state senator is a diverse background and a commitment to growing Kansas. My strong problem-solving skills have proven effective as representative and I will continue to work for common sense solutions in Topeka as your state senator," Tyson said in a news release.

Coen, R-Wellsville, is Tyson's competition on the Republican side. A lifelong Kansan and Republican, Coen has served the Franklin County GOP for 20-plus years and is currently a Republican township committeeman.

He ran for House several years ago, but was defeated. This is Coen's first go at Senate. Normally, Coen said he would have liked to come visit the area and network with people before making a run. But it didn't work out that way.

"We had essentially 24 hours to make a decision and go with it," Coen said.

A farmer and banker, Coen said in a news release he understands the needs of families on the farm and in small communities. "With the legislature having just created a $2.7 billion deficit, eastern Kansas clearly needs a new voice to protect our schools, our economic viability and our way of life," Coen said.

He said he looks forward to the competition.

"It will be an interesting debate," Coen said. "I expect it to be spirited. I have met Caryn Tyson several times. It will be her and me in the primary. We'll try to make some clear-cut decision in the primary to help the voters make a determination."

Cassells is also gearing up to face off against Tyson in the general election. A former reporter for the Linn County News, Miami County News and the MPG company in Osawatomie and Paola, Cassells has managed her husband Craig's construction business for many years. For Cassells, the tax bill passed by the legislature was her tipping point.

"We've honestly always been a pretty moderate state, so for me to not get involved was an almost impossible decision," she said. "I could not not get involved because it infuriates me when I see this kind of gridlock, when I see taxpayer dollars being wasted through lawsuits especially."

The nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department has estimated the tax bill will reduce state government revenues by $4.5 billion over the next six years, according to an article in the Lawrence Journal-World written by Martin Dickinson, a nationally recognized expert in tax law and the Schroeder Distinguished Professor of Law at Kansas University.

About half the state budget goes to education, House Minority Leader Paul Davis told those attending a recent Bourbon County Democratic meeting. He added funding for social services will also be slashed. Davis noted the Legislative Research Department said "we will have a deficit of between $2.5 billion and $3 billion," but Gov. Sam Brownback contends the state will grow its way out.

Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, remains in a redrawn District 13, but has some competition from fellow Republican Jacob LaTurner and Democrat Gene Garman. Marshall said he defeated LaTurner in 2008.

Marshall's territory now includes all of Cherokee and Crawford counties, about two-thirds of Bourbon County's population and approximately 80 percent of its land mass. He also picked up one township in Labette County that surrounds Chetopa.

Personally, Marshall said redistricting turned out badly for him. "I can understand why they would want to make Cherokee one county, but I ... don't understand why we go into Labette County and pick up one township. I only have about two-thirds of Bourbon County, population-wise," he said.