Missouri Supreme Court Blocks GOP-Favored House Map

The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously blocked a new House map that favors Republicans from being used in this year's midterm elections, ordering a statewide vote on whether to uphold or reject the new map. The decision marks a rare setback for Republicans in the national redistricting battle, as they fight to hold onto their slim House majority.

According to The Guardian, Missouri’s new districts were used in the August primaries but cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the Republican-led legislature. The court placed the new districts on hold because citizens submitted over 300,000 petition signatures seeking a referendum.

The ruling capped a year of political maneuvering and legal wrangling over the new districts. After former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to redraw congressional districts to their advantage, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session last year to dramatically reconfigure the 5th Congressional District, held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary election day in August to reject the petition, asserting that the referendum process cannot be used for congressional redistricting. A lower court agreed, resulting in an appeal to the state's highest court, which overturned Hoskins' decision. According to The Guardian and CBS News, attorneys representing Hoskins and Republican Party committees had argued it was too close to the general election to revert to the prior districts without causing confusion and chaos.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, said she would immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, asserting that the decision “has thrust our state into a full-fledged constitutional crisis,” as reported by HuffPost. The Missouri Constitution does not specifically say a referendum petition can be used for a congressional redistricting law passed by the Legislature. But the state Supreme Court ruled that a constitutional provision allowing a referendum on 'any act' of the legislature encompasses congressional redistricting.

The ruling was one of only a few nationally to go against Republicans’ redistricting plans. Prior to its latest ruling, Missouri's top court had already rejected claims that the special session was illegal, mid-decade redistricting isn't allowed, and the new districts aren’t compact enough.