Redistricting in Missouri after the 2010 census
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 in Missouri |
| Note: Redistricting takes place every 10 years after completion of the United States Census. The information here pertains to the 2010 redistricting process. For information on more recent redistricting developments, see this article. |
| Redistricting in Missouri | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Partisan control: Republican | |
| Process: House and Senate Apportionment Committees | |
| Deadline: Six months from committee formation | |
| Total seats | |
| Congress: 8 | |
| State Senate: 34 | |
| State House: 163 | |
This article details the timeline of redistricting events in Missouri following the 2010 census. It also provides contextual information about the redistricting process and census information.
Process[edit]
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
During the 2010 redistricting cycle, Missouri employed two distinct processes for legislative and Congressional redistricting. With respect to Congressional redistricting, the Missouri General Assembly beared primary responsibility, proposing and passing the redistricting plan as ordinary legislation. As such, the Governor of Missouri had the authority to veto the plan.
For legislative redistricting, two bi-partisan commissions were appointed to carry out the process for each chamber. The state committees for both major parties presented a list of nominees to the Governor, each including 10 Senate commission members and 18 House commission members. Two House commission members had to be nominated from each Congressional district. The Governor then selected half of the nominees from each party for a total of 10 Senate commission members and 18 House commission members. The Governor had to appoint a Democratic and Republican House commission member from each Congressional district.
From the date of their appointment, the commissions had six months to complete redistricting for their respective chamber. If one of the commissions failed to reach a compromise by the deadline, the process for that chamber would be turned over to a panel of six appellate judges. Provided that the other commission had met the deadline, the panel would not intervene in that chamber's maps. Once the panel of judges had taken control, it had 90 days to complete the redistricting plan.[1]
With respect to redistricting, the Missouri Constitution provided authority for the two redistricting committees in detail in Section 2 of Article III.
Public hearings[edit]
The Missouri House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting held four public hearings during the week of February 28. Those dates and locations were:[2][3]
- Tuesday, March 1 at Moreland Ridge Middle School in Blue Springs at 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 2 at the Mexico Chamber of Commerce in Mexico at 3 p.m.[4]
- Thursday, March 3 at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff at 6 p.m.
- Friday, March 4 at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton at 2 p.m.
Leadership[edit]
The Governor's office announced the members of the House and Senate Redistricting Commissions on March 18, 2011. The full list included 18 House commission members and 10 Senate commission members.[5][6]
Senate Redistricting Commission[edit]
The following were members of the Senate Redistricting Commission:[6][7]
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House Redistricting Commission[edit]
The following were members of the House Redistricting Commission:[6][8]
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Congressional redistricting[edit]
March 2011: Maps released[edit]
In March 2011, the first potential Congressional plan, HB 193, was released. As expected, St. Louis lost a seat. Elsewhere in the state, the 6th District was expanded into a seat that covered much of the rural north and the rest of state's seats were reconfigured.[9][10]
The map broke the 3rd district apart, divvying up southern St. Louis and its surrounding area into three other seats. [11]
John Diehl, Jr. (R) discusses redistricting in Missouri after the census figures were released. |
The same map shifted two Democratic strongholds, Boone County and the city of Columbia, from one district into another.[12] While the 4th would pick up Columbia, Jefferson County would also migrate, into the 9th. A bid from Cole County Presiding Commissioner Marc Ellinger, a Republican, to rework some central Missouri areas failed.[13]
On April 18, Republican members of the Congressional delegation and key legislative Republicans sequestered themselves for a meeting to resolve lingering differences over maps and making sure party leaders were on board.[14][15]
April 2011: House action[edit]
The bill passed 106-53 on a floor vote on April 6, 2011.[16]
On April 14, the House rejected the first version of the Senate map sent to them and requested a conference, a request that Senate leadership initially ignored.[17][18]
The House adjourned on April 18 while still waiting to hear from the Senate on the invitation to conference.[19] After the state's top Republicans met to discuss redistricting, the House renewed its request to the Senate for a conference.[20] The Senate voted to send both versions of the map to conference on April 20.[21][22]
April 2011: Senate action[edit]
On April 4, 2011, Republicans in the state Senate endorsed the House plan, though they ended the day still debating their own map, SB 264.[23]
On April 5, the committee sent the original plan on to the full House by a 10-1 vote.[24] The map passed the full House 106-53 on April 6. [25]
On April 5, the Senate passed a map out of committee 7-0.[26]
The following week, the House version of the map was passed narrowly by the Senate committee in a 4-3 vote.[27]
Opposition to the original bill, specifically splitting Polk County between the 7th and 8th Districts, threatened to block the map's passage in the House.[28] Republican Senators felt that too much left-leaning territory was moved into Republican districts; Democrats took issue with the way particular counties were divided.[29]
On April 13, the Senate passed its own map 22-11, despite attempts from several Senators to block it.[30] A vote to reconsider failed 10-22.[31]
April 2011: Conference and veto[edit]
On April 22, 2011, the House approved another map and sent it to the Senate, who adjourned for the Easter holiday without looking at the map.[32][33]
Passing 91-47 on a voice vote, the map had been retitled as SB 68.[34] SB 68 was initially a bill concerning the subpoena power of the state Senate, and had seen the substance of the redistricting bills added into it. The Senate then had the option of agreeing to SB 68 or continuing the conference with the House on HB 193.
The House passed a map 96-55 on April 27 and the Senate concurred 27-7.[35]
Nixon vetoed the map on April 30, sending it back to the legislature. In his veto, Nixon said the map inadequately represented Missourians and that he hoped the legislature would have something for him before they adjourned over the summer.[36][37]
May 2011: Veto Override[edit]
On May 4, 2011, the Senate and House each voted to override Nixon's veto. Four Democrats were needed to vote with the Republicans in the House. [38] With a final vote of 109-44, the four House Democrats to vote in favor of override were Leonard Hughes, Jamilah Nasheed, Penny Hubbard, and Michael Brown.
Later that day, the upper chamber followed suit, voting 28-6 to override the veto.[39] That the Senate actually added one 'aye' above the initial vote to pass the map seemed to give Rupp some grounds for his boast.
Legislative redistricting[edit]
The state level process differed from the Congressional model, which followed the legislative pattern. State legislative maps were drawn by commissions.
The Senate and House each had a distinct committee, but they scheduled hearings together for the sake of public input.[40][41][42][43]
Ideal Senate districts were at 176,145, with House seats at 36,742.
August 2011: Chamber commissions deadlock, courts to draw maps[edit]
The House and Senate bi-partisan redistricting commissions failed to agree on a new plan for Missouri's legislative districts. The deadline for selecting a plan passed on August 18, 2011. The House commission held its last meeting on August 12, determining that a compromise was impossible prior to the deadline. Similarly, the Senate deadlocked on August 16, abandoning efforts to complete maps. The task moved to a special commission of state appellate court judges.[44][45][46][47][48]
The following are clips from commission meetings:
Excerpts from August 12 House Redistricting Commission meeting[49] |
Excerpts from August 16 Senate Redistricting Commission meeting[50] |
October 2011: Judicial panel seeks input[edit]
On October 13, 2011, the judicial panel tasked with redrawing Missouri’s legislative districts heard public testimony at a hearing in Jefferson City. The Appellate Apportionment Commission, which consisted of six appeals court judges, also heard testimony from lawmakers involved in the deadlocked redistricting commissions. The judicial panel had to complete maps by mid-December.[51][52]
November 2011: Judicial panel completes maps[edit]
Missouri's judicial redistricting panel, which took over after lawmakers failed to reach a compromise, finalized the state's new legislative redistricting maps on November 30, 2011. The plan featured significant changes to the state's House districts. The new map left 55 House districts vacant and 26 districts with more than one incumbent. Thirty-four Republicans were paired while 23 Democrats were paired. The Senate saw less change with only two incumbents paired. The new districts would be used in the 2012 election.[53][54]
January 2012: Nixon appoints new commission[edit]
Following the Missouri Supreme Court's rejection of the court-drawn Senate redistricting maps, the process went back to square one. On January 31, 2012, Gov. Nixon appointed a new bipartisan commission to redraw the chamber's districts. The commission met for the first time on February 18.[55][56][57]
- The Governor's press release listing the appointees can be found here.
February 2012: Commission draws new maps[edit]
The bi-partisan panel tasked with redrawing Missouri's Senate districts approved a new plan on February 23, 2012, redrawing the 34-district map. The plan faced a 15-day public comment period before the plan could be officially approved by the panel.[58][59]
March 2012: Commission hears testimony, encounters opposition[edit]
The bipartisan redistricting commission heard testimony on its preliminary maps on March 8, 2012,. One of the lawyers for the recently-filed lawsuit was present to testify. A final vote on the maps was scheduled for March 12. Several senators -- including Jane Cunningham (R), Jim Lembke (R), and Eric Schmitt (R) -- expressed opposition to the preliminary plan.[60]
March 2012: Commission approves plan, lawsuit dropped[edit]
On March 12, 2012, Missouri's bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new redistricting plan for the state Senate. The plan included adjustments from the preliminary map. The first maps had triggered a lawsuit over the population balance between urban and rural districts. The final plan tweaked the St. Louis districts and evened population disparities across the state. The lawsuit was officially dropped in response to the modifications.[61]
Legal Issues[edit]
September 2011: Democrats sue to block map
On September 23, 2011, a group of Democrats filed suit to block Missouri's new congressional districts, calling the plan overreaching and egregious. The group was supported by the National Democratic Redistricting Trust. The lawsuit argued that the districts were neither compact nor contiguous and that they unnecessarily divided and diluted voters in St. Louis and Jefferson County. State Party Chair Matt Teter said that he only learned of the suit the day it was filed. Teter said that he supported the idea of a court-drawn plan.[62][63]
The Missouri Attorney General's office asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. The AG's filing contended that the plaintiffs failed to show that lawmakers ignored the compactness criterion or lacked a rational basis for drawing districts as they did.[64]
A group of Kansas City Republicans also challenged the congressional map arguing that the lines, especially those for District 5, were drawn for the sole purpose of protecting incumbents.[65]
December 2011: Judges' maps faces questions as lawsuits face dismissal
Less than a week after the judicial redistricting panel approved new legislative districts, there was speculation that the new lines may be challenged. Critics pointed to several county splits that they contended were not required by county population figures. The Missouri Constitution mandates that "no county lines shall be crossed except when necessary to add sufficient population to a multi-district county or city."[66]
December 2011: Lawsuits dismissed, appeal filed
On December 13, 2011, just days after a judge dismissed two lawsuits against Missouri's congressional map, plaintiffs in the Democratic lawsuit filed an appeal with the Missouri Supreme Court. The other challenge, filed by Kansas City Republicans, was also dismissed but was not appealed.[67]
January 2012: Judicial maps challenged, Supreme Court to hear lawsuits
On January 4, 2012, attorney David Brown of Columbia filed suit against Missouri's State Senate redistricting plan. Despite revisions to the court-drawn plan, Brown argued that the map still inappropriately divided counties and, due to staggered Senate elections, would leave at least one district without representation until 2014. He also maintains that the court had no authority to revise its redistricting map after giving it final approval.
- Brown's petition can be found here.
January 2012: Senate maps overturned, other lawsuits continue
On January 17, 2012, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned the state's Senate redistricting maps. The court found that the Senate plan unconstitutionally divided counties. The court also addressed two lawsuits concerning Missouri's new congressional districts, ordering a lower court to review the maps for compactness -- the lower court had initially rejected the lawsuits without considering the question.[68][69]
A lawsuit was filed against the new state House plans with the Supreme Court. The court declined to hear the case and directed plaintiffs to file the case in state circuit court. The lawsuit was re-filed in circuit court on January 27, 2012.[70] A new 10-member redistricting committee, composed of residents, would be appointed by the Governor to redraw the Senate maps. It was unclear if the revision process would be completed in time for the February 28 candidate filing deadline.[71]
February 2012: Congressional maps upheld
On February 3, 2012, a Missouri Circuit Court judge upheld the state's congressional redistricting plan. The judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit, but was ordered by the Missouri Supreme Court to consider the case on the merits. The plaintiffs were expected to appeal to the state State Supreme court. They argued that the maps violate the Missouri Constitution's compactness requirement. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D) expressed support for the lawsuit, presumably hoping to restore his former district eliminated under the map.[72]
February 2012: Cases move forward, filing to be delayed
On February 16, 2012, the Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments in the legal challenge of the state's congressional districts. Meanwhile, a county circuit judge upheld Missouri's state House districts. This case too was expected to be appealed. In light of these legal challenges, the Missouri State Senate voted to delay the beginning of the filing period for state candidates from February 28 until March 27. The bill moved to the House.[73][74][75]
February 2012: Supreme Court considers house plans
On February 27, 2012, the Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit challenging the new state House maps. The House maps were already upheld by a lower court, but so were the State Senate maps prior to their rejection by the state Supreme Court. The House maps were drawn by a panel of judges.[76]
March 2012: State House maps upheld
On March 27, 2012, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the state's House of Representatives maps.[77] On May 25, the Missouri Supreme Court issued an opinion elaborating on its approval of the state House districts.[78]
- The state House ruling can be found here.
March 2012: Lawsuit filed against revised Senate maps
On March 2, 2012, a federal lawsuit was filed challenging Missouri's tentative Senate redistricting maps. The maps in question were a revision of earlier maps already struck down by state courts. The lawsuit argued that the revised maps discriminated against rural areas by placing too many voters in several rural districts, thus reducing the number of districts allotted to rural Missouri.
The lawsuit also contended that changes to district numbering would disenfranchise voters by making them wait longer to vote in the state's staggered Senate elections. Only half of Missouri's senators are up for election at each biennial election--odd numbers in 2012, evens in 2014. As a result, some voters who had already waited four years to elect senators might be forced to wait another two if they were moved from an odd-numbered to an even-numbered district.[79]
On March 12, Missouri's bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new redistricting plan for the state Senate. The plan included a few adjustments from the preliminary map. The first maps had angered St. Louis area Republicans and drawn a lawsuit over the population balance between urban and rural districts. The final plan tweaked the St. Louis districts and evened population disparities across the state. The lawsuit was dropped in response to the modifications.[80]
May 2012: Supreme Court upholds U.S. House plan
On May 25, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the state's new congressional districts. The map paired Reps. William Lacy Clay (D) and Russ Carnahan (D). Plaintiffs argued that the maps violated the Missouri Constitution's compactness requirement.[81]
- The congressional ruling can be found here.
History[edit]
Deviation from Ideal Districts[edit]
| 2000 Population deviation[82] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Percentage | ||||||
| Congressional Districts | 0.00% | ||||||
| State House Districts | 6.08% | ||||||
| State Senate Districts | 6.81% | ||||||
| Under federal law, districts may vary from an Ideal District by up to 10%, though the lowest number achievable is preferred. Ideal Districts are computed through simple division of the number of seats for any office into the population at the time of the Census. | |||||||
Ballot measures[edit]
The following measures have appeared on the Missouri ballot pertaining to redistricting.
See also[edit]
- State Legislative and Congressional Redistricting after the 2010 Census
- State-by-state redistricting procedures
External links[edit]
- U.S. Census data for Missouri
- Missouri Office of Administration, General Redistricting Information
- KSGF Podcst with Rep. Diehl discussing redistricting, March 1, 2011
- Senate Redistricting Chair Scott Rupp's March 14, 2011 op-ed on redistricting
- Senator Bill Stouffer's interview on redistricting and rural areas (AUDIO)
- Rose Report May 2011 comments on new Congressional maps
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Missouri Office of Administration, "General Redistricting Information," accessed June 16, 2011
- ↑ St. Louis Beacon, "State House panel announces public hearings on congressional redistricting ," February 24, 2011
- ↑ Hazelwood Patch, "Redistricting Hearing Sites Announced," March 1, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Daily Tribune, "Long road to redistricting begins," March 3, 2011
- ↑ CBS St. Louis, "Nixon Set To Appoint Redistricting Panel," March 18, 2011
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Fired Up Missouri, "Redistricting Commissions Unveiled," March 18, 2011
- ↑ Office of Administration, "Senate Apportionment Commission Members," accessed June 16, 2011
- ↑ Office of Administration, "House Apportionment Commission Members," accessed June 16, 2011
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "St. Louis could lose a seat in Congress," March 30, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Missouri, "Missouri House submits redistricting proposal," April 2, 2011
- ↑ Gateway Pundit, "Buh-Bye Russ... MO Redistricting Map Eliminates Carnahan District," March 31, 2011]
- ↑ Missouri Watchdog, "First redistricting map leaves out Carnahan," March 31, 2011
- ↑ News Tribune, "Ellinger pushes Mid-Missouri’s redistricting interests," April 10, 2011
- ↑ Beaumont Enterprise, "Top GOP officials meet on Mo. redistricting," April 18, 2011
- ↑ KOMU.com, "Top GOP Officials Meeting on Mo. Redistricting," April 18, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Missourian, "Congressional redistricting plans pass in Missouri House, Senate," April 17, 2011
- ↑ CBS St. Louis, "Tug O’ War Continues Over Congressional Redistricting," April 15, 2011
- ↑ Southest Missourian, "Missouri House rejects state Senate redistricting map," April 15, 2011
- ↑ Connect Mid Missouri, "Congressional district redistricting update," April 18, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "Lawmakers Yet To Compromise On Redistricting Map," April 19, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ St. Louis Post Dispatch, "Senate breaks redistricting logjam, sends maps to conference committee," April 20, 2011
- ↑ KOMU.com, "Missouri Senate, House to Negotiate on Redistricting," April 20, 2011
- ↑ The Daily Reporter, "Mo. Senate committee proposes new congressional boundaries; similar to GOP House panel's idea," April 4, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "Missouri House Redistricting Map Set," April 5, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Mo. House puts redistricting map on fast track," April 7, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Tribune, "Senate district map resembles House’s," April 5, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "Senate Redistricting Committee Approves Map, Despite Kansas City Concerns," April 11, 2011
- ↑ KMOV.com, "Missouri redistricting proposal faces Senate opposition," April 12, 2011
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Mo. Senate begins redistricting debate," April 12, 2011
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mo. Senate's vote on redistricting legislation," April 15, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Tribune, "Redistricting map goes to conference," April 14, 2011
- ↑ KOAM7.com, "Missouri redraws district lines," April 22, 2011
- ↑ Dunkin Daily Democrat, "Mo. House endorses new redistricting plan," April 26, 2011
- ↑ KY3, "Details: House votes for new MO congressional redistricting plan after all-night negotiations," April 22, 2011
- ↑ Missouri Watchdog, "Missouri lawmakers pass redistricting map," April 27, 2011
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Missouri governor vetoes congressional redistricting map," April 30, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Reuters, "Missouri governor vetoes state redistricting plan," April 30, 2011
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Lawmakers overide Nixon's veto of redistricting plan," May 4, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Daily Tribune, "Legislature overrides redistrict veto," May 4, 2011
- ↑ CBS St. Louis, "Hearings This Week on Redistricting," May 23, 2011
- ↑ KAIT 8, "MO Legislature redistricting panels to meet," May 23, 2011
- ↑ The Oakville Patch, "Hearings MO House & Senate Appointment Commissions on Legislative Redistricting," May 25, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Missouri State News, "St. Clair County mulls redistricting map," May 26, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "Commission Fails to Agree on Missouri House Redistricting Map," August 12, 2011
- ↑ Linn County Leader, "Weekly Capitol Update - Missouri Statehouse Redistricting Deadline Looms," August 16, 2011
- ↑ Southeast Missourian, "Senate committee for redistricting finally throws in the towel," August 17, 2011
- ↑ Missourian, "Appellate Court Panel Will Redraw Districts," August 21, 2011
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Analysis: Panels can't reach deal on Mo. districts," August 28, 2011
- ↑ Missouri News Horizon YouTube channel
- ↑ Missouri News Horizon YouTube channel
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Judges hear advice on Missouri redistricting," October 14, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ KSDK, "State judicial panel considers redistricting plans," October 13, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "New Districts Send Missouri Lawmakers Scrambling," December 1, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ The Columbia Daily Tribune, "State apportionment panel avoids Sunshine Law requirements," November 27, 2011
- ↑ Examiner.net, "Senate redistricting panel named," January 31, 2012
- ↑ Lake News Online, "State: Mo. senator calls for open redistricting meetings," February 1, 2012
- ↑ Wichita Eagle, "State senators to vote on redrawn congressional district map," January 29, 2012
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Panel reaches deal on Missouri Senate redistricting," accessed February 23, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Redistricting concerns block candidate filing bill, February 23, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Commission nears decision on state Senate boundaries," March 9, 2012
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mo. Senate map opponents dismiss federal lawsuit," March 13, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Democrats sue to block new Congressional map in Missouri," September 23, 2011
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Lawsuit challenges Missouri congressional map," September 23, 2011
- ↑ The Republic, "Mo. attorney general's office asks for congressional redistricting lawsuit be dismissed," October 11, 2011
- ↑ St. Louis Today, Judge to dismiss lawsuit challenging Missouri congressional districts," December 8, 2011
- ↑ The Republic, "Analysis: New Mo. Senate boundaries split counties," December 4, 2011
- ↑ Examiner, "Redistricting map case heads to Missouri Supreme Court," December 15, 2011
- ↑ News Tribune, "Senate redistricting goes back to the drawing board," January 18, 2012
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Missouri Supreme Court Revives Congressional Redistricting Map Challenge," January 17, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Suit filed challenging Missouri House redistricting," January 28, 2012
- ↑ Southeast Missourian, "Supreme Court declines to hear Missouri House redistricting case," January 26, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Beacon, "Judge rules in favor of new congressional redistricting map," February 4, 2012
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mo. Senate passes bill to delay candidacy filing," February 16, 2012
- ↑ KSDK, "Missouri Supreme Court examines new US House districts," February 16, 2012
- ↑ Daily Dunklin Democrat, "Judge upholds new map of Mo. House districts," February 15, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Mo. high court examines lawsuit over House map," February 27, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ News-Press, "Missouri Supreme Court upholds state House districts," March 27, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Missouri Supreme Court rulings uphold redistricting," May 25, 2012
- ↑ Southeast Missourian, "Federal suit challenges proposed Missouri Senate map," March 5, 2012
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mo. Senate map opponents dismiss federal lawsuit," March 13, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Today, "Missouri Supreme Court rulings uphold redistricting," May 25, 2012
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, “Redistricting 2000 Population Deviation Table”," accessed February 1, 2011
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