‘Missouri First’ redistricting map faces four legal challenges, citizen referendum
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Nearly two weeks have passed since the Missouri General Assembly adjourned its special session, and Gov. Mike Kehoe has yet to sign either of the bills the Republican majority sent to his desk.
The Missouri House of Representatives spent $159,706.60 on the special session, according to an email from the House spokesman Ben Peters. The biggest expense is the representatives’ daily allowance, which totals $91,136 for the chamber’s 163 members.
Mileage comes in as the second most expensive category at $47,570.60, according to the email. The last category, Maptitude Mapping software, cost $21,000.
The ABC 17 News team requested financial information from the Senate, but hasn’t received anything yet.
The bill that would redistrict the state, HB 1, faces four legal challenges and could potentially be put in front of 2026 voters through a referendum petition.
The NAACP filed a lawsuit Sept. 3 to try to stop lawmakers from meeting. The NAACP claimed Kehoe doesn’t have the authority to call a special session for redistricting outside of a census year.
The NAACP lawsuit was heard by a Cole County judge but no further court dates have been set, according to previous reporting.
The map, if it goes into effect, would alter the state’s congressional districts to make one safely Democratic district, instead of two. To accomplish this, the Kansas City area would be split up into multiple districts.
Two more lawsuits were filed on Sept. 12 — the special session’s final day.
One lawsuit was filed by voters who will be in a different district once the new Republican-backed redistricting map goes into effect in 2026, according to court documents. One out of the four plaintiffs would remain in the same district.
Charles Hatfield, the attorney on the case, said in an email that his case is supposed to move “quickly” and a trial will be set for November.
The other lawsuit argues one Kansas City precinct is assigned to two different congressional districts, according to court documents.
The organization People Not Politicians and Richard von Glahn filed a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, alleging Hoskins violated sunshine laws for not adding von Glahn’s referendum sheet onto the secretary of state’s website within the deadline, according to court documents.
The lawsuit also argues Hoskins can’t reject the referendum petition because the governor hasn’t signed the redistricting bill into law.
Under the Missouri Constitution, the governor has 45 days to sign the special session bills into law. Kehoe also has the option to not sign the bills, and they would still become law.