Senator Rick Brattin and Other Legislators Urge Missouri Supreme Court to Dismiss Charges on Secretary of State 

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, alongside other legislators, has sent a letter to the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, urging him not to hold the secretary of state in contempt for complying with a federal order concerning the recently drawn state congressional map.

“The Missouri court's injunction addressed state referendum law, while the later federal order addressed separate federal claims,” said Sen. Brattin. 

Citing the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution, he added, “I believe any challenge to the federal order belongs before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and, if necessary, the Supreme Court of the United States. Holding the secretary of state in contempt for obeying the federal order would violate the constitutional balance among separate, coequal branches of government.”

The letter states, “If [the secretary of state] is held in contempt, they will petition leadership of the Missouri House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings under Article VII of the Missouri Constitution.”

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, at 10:00 a.m. at the Missouri Supreme Court Building.

For more information about the letter, contact Tom Estes. To learn more about Sen. Brattin and his legislation, visit senate.mo.gov/Brattin.

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