House sends new congressional map, initiative petition reform to Senate
Matthew Sanders
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri House has sent the Senate a new congressional map that could eliminate a safe Democratic seat.
The House approved the new map, which carves up U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District, on a 90-65 vote early Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the morning, the House also sent a plan to reform the state’s ballot measure process to the Senate.
The House gave initial approval to the bills on Monday. The initiative reform bill was taken back up on Tuesday morning and passed by a vote of 98-58.
The new map, called “Missouri First” by Gov. Mike Kehoe, came about after the White House said Missouri should redraw its map — a process that usually takes place only after the census.
House members debated the legality of redrawing the map between censuses, as well as whether the new districts were fair to Missourians.
House Republican leadership wants to reform the state’s initiative petition process by requiring a ballot question to win support of a majority of voters statewide and in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.
House members spent hours debating the bills before their final votes.
Democrats held a press conference after Republicans voted to pass both issues.
“Today’s a pretty sad day in Missouri,” House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) said. “It’s a pretty sad day for our democracy.”
Aune said she anticipates a citizen referendum to repeal Gov. Kehoe’s Missouri First Map, should H.B. 1 pass.
The minority leader also said she is talking with Democrats in the Senate.
“As hard as it is, we are going to be handing over this fight to them,” Aune said. “I look forward to seeing what the fight looks like on that side of the building.”
The Senate will take up both proposed bills Wednesday after the veto session, which starts at noon.