KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan traveled to the state capitol to cover Missouri's extraordinary session on redistricting. This article is part of his follow up coverage. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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Opponents to a congressional map Missouri lawmakers passed last year got a court victory Thursday.
The Missouri Western Court of Appeals upheld a Cole County judge’s ruling that ballot language for a potential statewide vote to approve a new congressional map must be simpler.
The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office suggested language calling the 2022 map gerrymandered. Both courts eliminated the word gerrymandered from the question.
“We voters, by and large, are plain everyday, working people,” said Jackie Brown, who collected signatures to trigger the vote.
Below is the court-approved language:
"Do the people of the state of Missouri approve the act of the General Assembly entitled 'House Bill No. 1 (2025 Second Extraordinary Session),' which repeals Missouri’s existing congressional plan, and replaces it with new congressional boundaries that keep more counties intact?"
Here is the secretary of state’s original language:
"Do the people of the state of Missouri approve the act of the General Assembly entitled 'House Bill No. 1 (2025 Second Extraordinary Session),' which repeals Missouri’s existing gerrymandered congressional plan that protects incumbent politicians, and replaces it with new congressional boundaries that keep more cities and counties intact, are more compact, and better reflects [sic] statewide voting patterns?"
“We think voters are going to have a better understanding as to what's being asked of them when this gets on the ballot,” said Richard von Glahn of People not Politicians, which filed a lawsuit challenging the original ballot language.
There is still not a date for the vote. There will be a hearing on a separate lawsuit Tuesday debating the validity of the signatures necessary to trigger the vote.
On May 12, the Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case challenging which map is currently in effect. Plaintiffs argue that after petitioners submit enough signatures to prompt a statewide vote, the new map should be put on hold until voters approve it.
The new map splits Kansas City into three districts instead of two like the 2022 map.
It lumps Waldo, Brookside and most of downtown with rural cities like Nevada and Lebanon.
Under the new map, areas east of Troost Avenue are in the same district as Jefferson City and parts of the Lake of the Ozarks.
“I was shocked I was being moved out of one district into another,” Hyde Park resident Steve Friesen said. “From one district where I thought my views were represented, to another district where it was watering down my views and representation.”
Another case is scheduled to go to the state Supreme Court this month challenging whether the new map meets the state’s constitutional requirements to have “compact” congressional districts.
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