Missouri Senate Committee Advances GOP Gerrymander

A Missouri Senate committee voted Thursday to advance a GOP gerrymandering scheme — the next step in a rushed mid-decade redistricting process designed to rig the 2026 election. 

The Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee considered two measures Thursday – the redistricting plan, as well as a bill that would make it more difficult for residents to pass a citizen-led ballot measure. The Missouri House gave final approval to both bills Tuesday.

The redistricting plan would give the GOP an extra House seat, at the expense of Black voters in Kansas City, and their current representative, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).

Missouri’s initiative petition process allows citizens to make changes to state law. But the proposal currently under consideration would require a ballot measure to receive a majority in all eight Missouri congressional districts in order to pass.

State Rep. David Tyson Smith (D) told Democracy Docket Missouri Republicans are racing through a lightning speed redistricting process and not giving residents enough notice of public hearings.

“They’re moving it so fast, it makes it extremely difficult to track. And it’s just wrong. Something that’s this important, to not be thoroughly vetted, and to run it through, jam it through, is disgraceful,” Smith said.

Despite the hasty process, Missourians made their opposition to the gerrymander clear Thursday.

Riisa Rawlins, CEO of the Community Commission of Missouri, told the Senate committee a mid-decade redistricting process “undermines both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution, while creating instability and mistrust among the public.”

The changes to the map threaten to undermine democracy in the state, Rawlins said.

“The proposed maps risk dividing neighborhoods, particularly in Kansas City, splitting up communities with shared interests and priorities,” Rawlins said. “When communities are fractured, their voices are diluted and representation suffers.”

No members of the public spoke in support of the map Thursday. 

“There was nobody in favor. We asked twice,” Sen. Rusty Black (R), the committee chair, told another senator who asked to make certain anyone in favor of the bill had the opportunity to speak. 

The initiative petition bill was unpopular Thursday, as well. Missouri voter Carla Klein argued Republican lawmakers were trying to intimidate residents from collecting signatures to get a petition on the ballot. 

“History’s going to judge you for this, and so are the Missouri voters,” Klein said.