Committee advances bill to centralize venue for election lawsuits in Shawnee County
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Summary
HB 25‑69 would require lawsuits challenging state election laws or rules to be brought in Shawnee County District Court and transfer suits filed elsewhere into Shawnee County. The committee advanced the bill after debate about whether forum‑shopping is a frequent problem.
House Bill 25‑69, which would set the District Court of Shawnee County as the venue for challenges to the constitutionality of state election laws and regulations, was advanced favorably out of the Committee on Elections.
The revisor said the bill would transfer any action filed elsewhere in the state to Shawnee County. Members asked for clarification from secretary of state staff, who said a circulated spreadsheet showed four active constitutional election cases; other filings ranged from substantial to what staff categorized as frivolous. Opponents argued the spreadsheet showed limited evidence of systemic forum shopping and warned that requiring centralized venue would burden rural Kansans who might have to travel to Shawnee County; proponents argued historical forum‑shopping in election matters justifies the change.
Vice Chairman renewed the motion to pass HB 25‑69; the committee voice‑voted to advance the bill with several members recorded as voting no.
The bill will proceed to the next stage of the legislative process.