KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County Circuit Court judge has ruled (linked here) that a new congressional map passed by the Missouri General Assembly as House Bill 1 can stay in place, after a lawsuit by Campaign Legal Center (CLC), the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the ACLU of Missouri — on behalf of individual Missouri voters — was filed challenging the state’s unlawful and unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort.
Campaign Legal Center, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Missouri together issued the following statement:
“We respectfully disagree with the trial court’s ruling, which misapplied the law and overlooked overwhelming evidence that the state’s unprecedented mid-decade congressional map violates the Missouri Constitution’s compactness requirement. Drawn under direct pressure from the Trump administration, the map divides the Kansas City area across multiple sprawling districts in clear violation of that constitutional mandate. If allowed to stand, it would represent a significant setback for fair representation in Missouri.
“Moreover, the General Assembly’s recent effort to redraw congressional district lines was unconstitutional from the start. That is because the Missouri Constitution also forbids mid-decade redistricting. A separate challenge to the map on this basis is currently before the Missouri Supreme Court, and we have submitted an amicus brief urging the high court to rule in accordance with the state constitution and find the map invalid.
“Voters have the right to choose their elected officials under fair maps. Campaign Legal Center, the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the ACLU of Missouri will continue to fight on behalf of voters in Missouri to ensure that they have an equal say on which elected officials represent them and the issues that matter most to their communities.”
Representing the state, Solicitor General Lou Capozzi said the Missouri Constitution is silent on the topic of mid-decade redistricting.
“This Court has long held that the General Assembly has the power to act unless the Missouri Constitution expressly takes a particular power away,” Capozzi said.