Kansas Senate Democrats question plan to force election lawsuits to be filed in Shawnee County
TOPEKA — Senate Democrats questioned a plan to require all election-related state lawsuits to be filed in Shawnee County, supposedly to prevent voting rights groups from looking for favorable venues.
Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, pointed out the irony behind House Bill 2569 during debate Wednesday in the Senate. There are just three judges in Shawnee County District Court who handle civil cases, and one of them has a history of issuing partisan rulings that are overturned on appeal.
“My concern would be that just limiting the ability to file for those under those three judges could also be considered judge shopping,” Francisco said.
The Senate advanced the bill, which cleared the House on a 74-48 vote on Feb. 19, despite additional objections from Democrats about placing litigants from far corners of the state at a disadvantage. The Senate has yet to take final action on the bill.
https://kansasreflector.com/2026/03/18/kansas-senate-democrats-question-plan-to-force-election-lawsuits-to-be-filed-in-shawnee-county/