JEFFERSON CITY — On Wednesday, April 13, the Missouri Senate approved a congressional map that was drafted to accurately represent Missouri’s population, based on the results from the 23rd Decennial Census.
When the results were announced last December, it was shown that despite a population growth of 7 percent, Missouri would lose a congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, resulting in a drop of nine to eight Missouri congressional seats. The Missouri Legislature is responsible for congressional redistricting, while the responsibility of redrawing Missouri’s Senatorial districts and House districts is given to two bipartisan commissions appointed by the governor.
The map, drafted by the House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting, is listed under House Bill 193.
Before being passed in the Senate, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting Sen. Scott T. Rupp, R-Wentzville, offered a Senate substitute that was adopted. The substitute altered the House congressional map to make it more equivalent to the Senate map. One of the concerns the substitute addressed was how Jefferson County would be divided. In the original House map, 100,000 residents in Jefferson County would be placed in the rural 8th District. The bill’s adopted substitute would only affect 42,000 residents in Jefferson County. The split of St. Charles County and the placement of some Southwest Missouri counties were also addressed. The vote was 22-11 in the Missouri Senate.
Today, the Missouri House requested a conference committee to iron out the House and Senate differences with the map. Lawmakers have until the last day of session to have a redistricting map sent to the governor. If the proposal is vetoed by the governor and the Legislature is unable to override it, congressional redistricting would be decided by the Missouri Supreme Court.
For more information regarding redistricting in Missouri, please visit www.oa.mo.gov/bp/redistricting.
For more information about the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or e-mail newsroom@senate.mo.gov.
-END- |
