Hearing set to block Missouri’s new congressional map
Jazsmin Halliburton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to determine whether a judge will block Missouri’s new congressional map.
A lawsuit filed by People Not Politicians is over a referendum to block the newly created congressional map that the group wants on next year’s ballot. The group has raised more than $1.7 million in contributions since forming and has collected more than 100,000 signatures.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a countersuit in October, stating that the referendum is unconstitutional and infringes upon lawmakers’ constitutional right to draw the congressional map.
Hanaway says in a statement that the lawsuit “is about protecting Missouri’s constitutional authority from being hijacked by out-of-state dark money groups.” Missouri Republicans have long complained that Missouri’s initiative petition process allows for groups that don’t report their donations to have an outsized impact on the process.
The hearing will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday in St. Louis.