“Because the 2025 Map was not drawn in a manner violative of article III, section 45 of the Missouri Constitution, the circuit court’s judgment is affirmed.”
The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled to uphold a new congressional map that will likely give the state an additional REpublican held congressional seat, shifting the balance of power to a 7 to 1 GOP advantage going into the midterms.
"This Court's review of the Missouri residents' appeals is limited to determining only the legality – not the prudence or popularity – of the map," Chief Justice W. Brent Powell wrote. "Because the 2025 Map was not drawn in a manner violative of article III, section 45 of the Missouri Constitution," the circuit court’s judgment is affirmed.
The ruling comes as redistricting schemes have come before judiciaries in many states. Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, California, and other states have all sought mid-decade redistricting to shift balances of power depending on the party affiliation of state leadership. The map in Missouri will break up the Kansas City area, where a Democrat currently holds office in the district. Democrats brought their complaint to the courts.
https://twitter.com/GovMikeKehoe/status/2054308682486501386?s=20
"Today's Missouri Supreme Court rulings are a HUGE victory for voters. Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our Missouri values—rooted in common sense, hard work, and personal responsibility— are stronger and far more aligned across both sides of the aisle than the extreme left-wing agendas pushed in states like New York, California, and Illinois. The Missouri First Map ensures those values are represented fairly and accurately at every level of government. This August, Missouri voters will head to the ballot box to vote for candidates in these newly drawn districts," GOP Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said in response to the decision.
The Democratic-aligned National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) executive director Marina Jenkins accused the court of ignoring the Democrats’ arguments to disband the new map and claimed the court “had their opinion already finalized even before this morning’s argument,” per Politico. The NRF had claimed that the GOP had violated the Missouri Constitution with the congressional district redraw.
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