Two lawsuits, one ‘citizen’s veto’ filed since Gov. Kehoe’s special session on redistricting

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

People Not Politicians, a non-partisan organization, filed a referendum on Friday, aimed at giving voters the chance to approve or deny Gov. Mike Kehoe’s “Missouri First” map. This is the third challenge to the governor’s map.

Lawmakers are calling this referendum a ‘citizen’s veto.’ Sen. Doug Beck (D-St. Louis County) said at a press conference Friday he would personally go out and collect signatures.

Missouri is still waiting on the governor to sign the redistricting map and initiative petition reform into law, after the Missouri legislature wrapped up its side of things Friday.

Moberly Community College sophomore Keith Gaberielson said he hasn’t seen the new redistricting map, but he thinks the congressional districts over the years have been out of balance.

“Every time they come out with new districts over the past few years for Missouri, I mean, it just looks worse and worse,” Gaberielson said.

The “Missouri First” map stretches the Fifth District, which mostly covers the Democratic pocket of Kansas City, into Mid-Missouri.

Democrats believe this would kick U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) out of his seat because the district covers a much larger area.

A lawsuit filed Friday argues it is unconstitutional to redistrict in the middle of a census decade, according to court documents. It was filed by three people who would be in a new district next year if the governor signs the map into law and a person who would remain in the same district.

Chuck Hatfield, the plaintiffs’ attorney, previously told ABC 17 News that redistricting without an updated census is unfair to voters.

“They’re going to have new congresspeople if this map goes into effect,” Hatfield said. “Normally, you get to keep the same congressperson for ten years.”

The current congressional districts were approved in 2022.

The NAACP filed a lawsuit against the governor days into the start of the special session, asking a Cole County judge to stop lawmakers from continuing the special session, according to previous reporting. A judge will hear both arguments on Monday.

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