redistricting

Missouri's highest court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether voters can challenge the congressional map, with decades of constitutional rulings offering clues to how the judges may approach the case. Republicans have prevailed in every case around gerrymandering so far.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway defended her support for withholding Amendment 6 and a vote on Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map from the November ballot. There is no exception in the constitution prohibiting a referendum on redistricting — but there's no explicit permission either.

Last week, a Missouri judge declined to put two measures that received hundreds of thousands of petition signatures on the November ballot. Now the state Supreme Court will take a look. We'll take a closer look at the redistricting referendum and Respect Missouri Voters amendment.

The state's highest court will hear arguments over two consequential initiatives on Sept. 2, just days before the deadline to finalize the November ballot. A circuit court judge ruled both proposals were unconstitutional.

Delivering his decision just a few hours after conducting a trial, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that the Missouri Constitution does not allow referendums on congressional redistricting. However, the Missouri Supreme Court will likely be the final say in the case.

Earlier this month, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a proposed referendum on the congressional redistricting map state lawmakers passed last year.

Trials this week will determine whether Amendment 6, which would limit legislative changes to voter-passed initiatives, and a referendum on Missouri’s congressional map will reach the Nov. 3 ballot. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected both as unconstitutional.

Both of the cases are moving quickly because Missouri law sets a Sept. 8 deadline for court orders adding questions to the November ballot.

With an early September cutoff for changes to the Missouri ballot, the chief justice asked for "sufficient time for expedited appellate review" of the complex issues. Because if the referendum is approved, it would also throw the results of the Aug. 4 primary into question.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify a ballot initiative aimed at undoing the new congressional maps drawn by Republican legislators. Those maps carved up Kansas City in an effort to oust Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, and this rejection sets up another legal battle ahead of November’s high-stakes midterms.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a citizen referendum that would have given voters the chance to overturn the new Republican-drawn congressional map. Hoskins said the measure was unconstitutional, but the group People Not Politicians said he's being "obstructionist."

The candidates for November’s general election are now set. Can Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Mark Alford keep his seat against Democrat Jordan Herrera after gerrymandering eroded the district's strong Republican bent?