JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House launched a controversial special session Wednesday that could drastically alter the state’s congressional boundaries and make it harder for citizens to change the state Constitution.
Acting on a demand from President Donald Trump to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts to eliminate one of two safe Democratic seats, the Republican-led House met for fewer than five minutes Wednesday and promptly scheduled two committee hearings for Thursday.
The brief opening gavel was attended by about two dozen of the House’s 159 existing members, raising questions by Democrats about the lack of a quorum.
“The Constitution means nothing? Nothing?†asked Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs, D-51ºÚÁÏ. “We need a quorum to do business.â€
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Leaders of the Republican majority said Wednesday’s informal “technical†session is a routine way for the lower chamber to kickstart the legislative process. A quorum will be needed next week when lawmakers begin voting on final versions of bills.
One committee, headed by Rep. Richard West, R-Wentzville, will hear Trump’s redistricting scheme, which is designed to make the Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District easier for a Republican to win a seat held for 11 terms by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
The redistricting gambit is part of the president’s plan to fend off projected Republican losses in the 2026 mid-term elections.
The president’s actions triggered protests over the weekend and plans for a large rally next week. The heightened tensions resulted in a larger-than-normal police presence in the Capitol building Wednesday.
“The Missouri State Highway Patrol has an increased presence at the Capitol during the special session to support the Capitol Police Department with security,†Patrol Lt. Eric Brown said in a statement.
A small number of protesters stood with signs on the Capitol steps in the minutes before the noon session. More demonstrators are expected next week when both the House and Senate will be in town.
“We want as many people here as possible,†said Fuchs, a freshman who represents the Tower Grove South neighborhood and points south.
Missouri is the third state to pursue the president’s redistricting agenda. Texas developed a new map aimed at helping Republicans pick up five more congressional seats.
Democrat-led California is responding with its own redistricting plan designed to give Democrats a chance at winning five more seats. California’s plan will go to voters on Nov. 4.
Along with remaking the 5th district to extend into Republican-rich counties in mid-Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe said the maneuver will undo gerrymandering that lawmakers enacted in 2022 when they created a Republican-leaning 3rd Congressional district that resulted in the boundaries creating a C-shape around 51ºÚÁÏ of safe GOP votes.
“Whenever you move lines in any map, for every action there is a reaction,†Kehoe said in an interview Tuesday on KCMO radio.
Under the proposed map, the 3rd district represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Onder of Lake Saint Louis would lose the bottom half of the C-shape and take in a larger chunk of St. Charles County voters.
The governor would not say the plan was a slam dunk in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
“It’s going to take conversation. I think there’s a chance we can get it through,†he said.
The proposal will be handled in the House by Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, who chairs the powerful House Budget Committee.
A second panel of lawmakers will hash out the details of Kehoe’s request to boost the threshold for approving constitutional amendments from a mere majority of statewide voters to also require majority approval in all eight of the state’s congressional districts.
Any changes will have to be ratified by voters next year.
The latter provision could give rural Republicans more power to stop progressive ballot questions that have been approved on the strength of the state’s blue areas.
Conversely, some Republicans fear it also could allow Democrats in 51ºÚÁÏ’s 1st Congressional District to block conservative constitutional changes in the future.
“I don’t think it will pass a vote of the people and I don’t think it should,†said Rep. Rudy Veit, R-Wardsville. “There should be a higher standard, but under this plan, any one district could kill a ballot question.â€
If the proposed changes had been in place last year, an amendment that restored abortion rights in Missouri would have failed because it did not win approval in all of the state’s congressional districts. It was approved by wide margins in the state’s two Democratic districts in 51ºÚÁÏ and Kansas City and in the suburban 51ºÚÁÏ 2nd district, represented by Republican Ann Wagner.
The chamber will not convene in an official “regular session†until Monday. The Senate will convene Sept. 10.
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