KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Members of the Missouri House of Representatives perfected a resolution Monday making it harder to change the state’s constitution through the initiative petition process.
They also perfected a bill to redistrict the state's U.S. Congressional boundaries. Both proposals will go to a final vote from the House of Representatives Tuesday before then going to the state Senate for more debate.
House Joint Resolution 3 passed with 96 yes votes and 55 no votes. It raises the threshold an initiative petition needs to pass. Instead of receiving a statewide simple majority, the resolution requires petitions receive a majority in each of the state’s eight congressional districts.
“If it’s something where there’s broad consensus across the state, 50 percent in each congressional district would not be a threshold that is unattainable,” argued State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly.
The new requirement applies to constitutional amendments only, not changes to state statutes. Legalizing marijuana and restoring abortion rights are examples of recent initiative petitions that changed the state’s constitution.
“You are taking power away from the citizens, you are diluting their votes,” said State Rep. Eric Woods, a Democrat from Clay County, who voted no.
Questions placed on the ballot by the legislature would still only need a statewide simple majority to pass. That perceived double standard is why Speaker of the House Jon Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit, voted no on the proposal.
“The discrepancy for what it takes for the citizens to pass a constitutional amendment and the legislature is just too big,” Patterson said. “Most people in Lee’s Summit who I’ve heard from are not in favor of it.”
House members gave the redistricting bill initial approval and a final House vote is expected Tuesday.
The vote Monday night was 89 yes to 63 no.
Governor Mike Kehoe called an extraordinary, or special, session of the legislature last month to pass both proposals.
Republicans across the country have taken up redistricting as a way to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
Democrats believe the newly proposed congressional map is designed to make it easier for a Republican to beat U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Jackson County, in the 2026 election.
The proposed map splits Kansas City into three congressional districts, instead of the two in which it currently sits.
“Splitting Kansas City to three different districts would be devastating to the region,” said State Rep. Ashley Aune, the House Minority Leader, a Democrat from Kansas City’s Northland. “That is not a partisan comment, that is not a Democrat comment. Ask Republicans in Kansas City, they don’t want it either.”
Speaker Patterson said he does plan to vote against redistricting and is not concerned about political blowback for not standing with his party.
“I learned a lot time ago you have to vote what’s best for the people. The politics usually takes care of itself,” Patterson said.
State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Seneca who is sponsoring the redistricting proposal, called the new map better than the one the state approved in 2022.
“The Missouri First map is more compact than the current congressional map we have. It splits fewer counties,” Deaton pointed out.
A poll released by NBC News shows most Americans oppose redistricting done by politicians.
