KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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The Missouri State Legislature began a special session Wednesday on legislation to draw new congressional district boundaries.
RELATED | Missouri legislators begin special session focused on redistricting and initiative petition reform
The new boundaries would impact the 5th District, represented by a Democrat, Congreeman Emmanuel Cleaver.
Cleaver's current district spans most of Jackson County and portions of Clay County.
New proposed map changes exclude Clay County and portions or Jackson County and predominantly conservative leaning counties east of The Lake of the Ozarks.
Congressional District 4 held by U.S. Representative Mark Alford, a Republican could also experience changes to the constituents served.
The proposed re-drawn district would practically eliminate the counties currently represented in the northeast.
RELATED | Missouri's proposed congressional redistricting maps for state, Kansas City area
It would also include greater representation into Kansas City proper, South Kansas City, and Grandview.
"I think the goal is more to, reduce the cities impact to the whole state," said Pleasant Hill, Missouri resident Nathan Sweat. "It’s going to be a problem if its under the blue side leadership, I don’t want that around me."
KSHB 41's Cass County Beat Reporter Ryan Gamboa visited the Peculiar, Missouri Farmers and Artisans Market on Wednesday night.
The small, but mighty Farmer's Market had a wide range of visitors from across Congressional District 4.
"I firmly believe, that God’s first, family second, and country," explained Debra Mawson, who lives in Archie, Missouri near the Bates County line. "If you don’t have those values, then the country just doesn’t fit."
Voters KSHB 41 spoke to on Wednesday shared a true Missouri value is conservative thinking, primarily rooted in a common sense thinking, strong educational systems, less government oversight, and healthcare.
"Use common sense when you’re thinking about things. To me of course, that’s a conservative value," said Harrisonville, MO resident Ernie Cecil.
With greater representation in Kansas City, KSHB 41 news reporter Ryan Gamboa asked each voter how rural residents can relate with a Kansas Citians in Waldo, the Crossroads, or dowtown.
Many said, there aren't many similarities between the rural and urban communities.
"Unless they grew up on a farm, they can't," added Cecil. "That’s a democratic area and this is a republican area."
RELATED | Missouri's proposed congressional redistricting maps for state, Kansas City area
Last week, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in statement that he'd consider running for a Congressional seat if the Missouri Legislature were to draw new district lines.
Lucas did not state which Congressional District he'd consider running for, Cass County voters KSHB 41 spoke with were not in favor.
"If Mayor Quinton Lucas got that, I don’t think he’s done a good job at all on anything with the city," Sweat said. "Crime is up and you can’t hardly go to Plaza and feel safe. I don't really want to go north of Grandview."
The Cass County Democratic Party see's an opportunity, through what is viewed as unconstitutional redistricting outside the 10 year census period.
"We’re going to make the goal posts narrower, so that it’s harder to get things done," said Diane Yeamans, a representative of the Cass County Democrats group. "You’re going to make a lot of people mad. Mad people get active, they show up."
Partnerships with larger Democrat backed groups is where opportunity lies.
"I see us being able to recruit more candidates, fund candidates better. I think there’s opportunity once we get over the hump and used to the change. We are going to fight back," Yeamans said. "We all want good homes, safety, good schools for our kids, and we want food in the grocery stores. What the urban folks will learn is that the food in grocery stores come from the farms down the road in the southern part of the district."
Plans to redistrict is part of a nationwide strategy by the Trump administration leading into the midterm elections.
Republicans state the effort is to ensure Missouri's Conservative values are truly represented in Washington.
RELATED | Rural Missourians weigh in on 'Big Beautiful Bill' impact on rural hospitals
Voters in rural Cass County ask for common sense voting from state lawmakers considering the new district lines.
"It would be so tough because we would be so outnumbered," added Mawson. "I’m looking for fairness all around."
