Second redistricting lawsuit goes in front of Cole County judge Thursday
Alison Patton
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Another Cole County judge is set to hear arguments Thursday on a redistricting lawsuit filed by a group that wants to get the governor’s “Missouri First” map on the 2026 ballot.
This trial follows a hearing in another redistricting lawsuit on Wednesday.
People Not Politicians sued Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for failing to approve a referendum to overturn the new congressional map passed by the Missouri General Assembly.
The group argues this is illegal because the form was rejected — not for its content, but because the governor didn’t sign the new congressional maps into law, which People Not Politicians says is the problem.
The state argues this lawsuit is no longer relevant because Hoskins has already approved the referendum for circulation, according to pretrial briefs.
Shortly after approving the referendum, Hoskins filed a federal lawsuit to stop the petition from circulating, arguing that a referendum can’t be done on congressional redistricting. A federal judge is set to hear those arguments in November.
When Hoskins approved the referendum, he said in a press release that any signatures collected before approval are invalid. People Not Politicians will argue in Thursday’s trial that signatures can be collected once the form has been submitted.
The state will argue that it is a moot point because signatures haven’t been submitted yet, according to the pretrial brief.
The new congressional map is likely to cut out a Democratic seat in Congress.
During Wednesday’s trial, on a separate redistricting lawsuit, the state claimed the lawsuit was a political matter, saying the plaintiffs were upset with the state’s move to redistrict and the political gains in Congress.