The congressional redistricting map passed by the Missouri House last week is now in the hands of the State Senate.
And the consensus so far is that both Democrats and Republicans don’t like it.
State Senator Jason Crowell (R, Cape Girardeau) says the House map puts too much of Democrat-leaning Jefferson County into the Republican-leaning southeastern district.
“I don’t mind telling you, I have no intention of letting us come to a vote on the House map," Crowell said. "I’ll do everything I can (to stop it), because I think the House map is a wrong direction to go for a variety of reasons.”
State Senator Bill Stouffer (R, Napton) actually objects both the House and Senate versions, because they each would lump three rural counties, including Stouffer's home county of Saline, into the urban Kansas City district.
State Senator Ryan McKenna (D, Crystal City) also takes issue with both the House and Senate redistricting maps.
“Both of them split my county, the sixth biggest county in the state, up into three congressional districts," McKenna said. "If there’s one district in all these maps that is the most (detrimentally treated), it’s Jefferson County.”
The House map is not being blocked yet, but after two hours of debate it was set aside with no action taken.
Meanwhile, State Senator Robin Wright-Jones (D, St. Louis) is proposing an alternate map which preserves most of the congressional district held by Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan.
