In Missouri two unincorporated areas recently got to vote on whether to be annexed by neighboring municipalities.

Across the state line in Kansas, Overland Park wants to annex about 15 square miles of land on its southern border. But residents will never see a ballot. Kansas law does not require a citizen vote on annexation. Instead, the Johnson County Commission will decide. The area south of Overland Park is mainly low-density housing, farms, and open fields, and there has been growing opposition from those living there.

It is impossible to tell if a majority of residents want to be part of Overland Park or not. The point is that we will never know because they won't get a vote. It is hard to understand why the people with the most at stake, those who have invested their lives in the area, won't be making the decision.

This Kansas law is badly flawed. It's undemocratic. It's something the Kansas Legislature needs to fix and soon.