THE 100 REPORT
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Senate Congressional Redistricting Committee Passes Out Map After Lengthy Debate
Two Democrats sided with 7 Republicans in passing out both the Senate and House versions of the redistricting map with a 9-5 vote. Democratic Sens. Brian Williams and Steven Roberts sided with the three conservatives, Sens. Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins, and Bob Onder, in opposing the bill, which would give democrats at least two Congressional districts in Missouri.
Conservatives Senators have said they want to see a 7-1 map proposed and have promised to fight for such a map during the legislative process.
“Really what’s going on here is not a discussion of the numbers and what the numbers actually say. It tells me that there’s politics and partisanship going on. I’m surprised by the degree of the slanted partisanship coming from the leadership of this chamber,” Eigel said.
The maps will now head to the full Senate for consideration.
Sen. Denny Hoskins and Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden Spar Over Ethics Reform
Senator Denny Hoskins proposed a rule change earlier this week that would require Senate staffers to publicly identify if they are working with a registered lobbyist, lobbying firm, or political consulting firm.
Hoskins stated a Senate staffer who is working on the Select Committee on Redistricting was also employed with Palm Strategic, a political consulting firm, while also working for the committee and as an official staff member in Rowden’s office last year. That, Hoskins said, was a “clear conflict of interest.”
Hoskins took to the Senate floor to inquire of Senator Rowden about whether those jobs should have to be publicly disclosed, but Rowden took issue with the claim of impropriety.
“I always hope to have good relationships with my fellow senators. Sen. Rowden has already said publicly he’s not interested in passing any conservative priorities. When you have your majority floor leader publicly stating he’s not interested in passing any conservative priorities, it’s tough to build relationships,” Hoskins said Monday night.
SOS Ashcroft Pens Letter Defending Constitutionality of 7-1 Map
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has penned an opinion letter pushing back against Representative Dan Shaul and others who have claimed a 7-1 Map is unconstitutional and would be tossed out by the courts. Read the letter below.
Opinion: Three’s a Crowd — An Op-ed on Redistricting
By Mary Elizabeth Coleman
While thousands marched in Washington, D.C. this past week advocating for the end of the brutal practice of abortion, the Missouri Legislature was threatening to help Democrats stop the hard-fought progress made to protect life in the womb.
Every 10 years in this country a census is done, and states draw new maps based on the population growth to ensure a representative government by the people for the people. In Missouri, the legislature has a constitutional mandate to draw our federal congressional maps in a way that is compact and protects communities of interest.
For decades, these fights have been some of the most vicious in our legislatures, and for good reason. The party in power has the ability to strengthen the seats held by their members, and even in many states, add representation to their federal delegation. Never has this fight been more pressing than today with Democrats in Washington trying everything they can to hold onto their slim majority. So far, national redistricting has created seven more Democratic-leaning seats in Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oregan.
This brings us home to Missouri. If the legislature were to draw and pass a 7-1 map (meaning seven Republicans and one Democrat), instead of a 6-2 (six Republicans and two Democrats) map, the majority party would open the state up to the likelihood of courts drawing the maps on the legislature’s behalf. Or so the argument goes. Respectfully, this is simply wrong.
So, what would happen if the legislature drew a map that was challenged in court and struck down? The court must allow the legislature to redraw the congressional map. The Supreme Court “has repeatedly held that redistricting and reapportioning legislative bodies is a legislative task which the federal courts should make every effort not to pre-empt.” Wise v. Lipscomb, 437 U.S. 535, 539 (1978). “When a federal court declares an existing apportionment scheme unconstitutional, it is, therefore, appropriate, whenever practicable, to afford a reasonable opportunity for the legislature to meet constitutional requirements by adopting a substitute measure rather than for the federal court to devise and order into effect its own plan.” Id. at 540.
But! What if we have run out of time? Filing is opening soon. The Supreme Court has further explained that “[a]bsent evidence that these state branches will fail timely to perform that duty, a federal court must neither affirmatively obstruct state reapportionment nor permit federal litigation to be used to impede it.” Branch, 538 U.S. at 261-62 (quoting Growe v. Emison, 507 U.S. 25, 34 (1993)). When a federal district court in Virginia held that the Virginia House of Delegates congressional redistricting plan violated the Equal Protection Clause, the court “afford[ed] the Virginia General Assembly a ‘reasonable opportunity…to meet constitutional requirements by adopting a substitute measure,’ rather than re-drawing the districts ourselves.” Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Bd. of Elections, 326 F. Supp.3d 128, 181 (E.D. Va. 2018).
What’s more, the Missouri Supreme Court has held that the Missouri Constitution follows this rule. “It is the responsibility of the Missouri General Assembly to draw new congressional election districts.” Pearson v. Koster, 359 S.W.3d 35, 37 (Mo. 2012) (citing Mo. Const., art. III, §45). The Missouri Supreme Court during the last cycle of congressional redistricting in 2012 in Missouri confirmed that, should a court declare a congressional redistricting plan unconstitutional or violative of districting requirements, the court will defer to the legislature to enact a new plan.
As the Supreme Court deliberates on whether to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the Democrats’ narrative on mask and vaccine mandates falls apart, why are we negotiating against ourselves? Or, more aptly, why are we not using every tool at our disposal to send more Republicans to Washington? I don’t know.
Proposed 7-1 Map
This is the latest draft I’ve seen on a possible “7-1” map that would add another Republican member of Congress in Missouri. The statistics alongside the map show how these districts performed in the 2020 election (Trump/Biden). All 7 districts have significant Republican lean.
Parents wise up about Critical Race Theory : Stepman
“According to “free-speech advocates,” a dark and sinister conspiracy threatens our country’s public schools: Curriculum transparency.
NBC News has published a lengthy exposé on how parents, citizens and state lawmakers are demanding more transparency and seeking an end to the teaching of critical race theory and extreme gender ideology in public schools.
The nerve of those people.
The piece starts off on the wrong foot, with a distortion of what opposition to CRT in schools is about. Tyler Kingkade, an NBC News national reporter, begins by saying that Republican governors and lawmakers have “fought to limit discussions of race in public schools.”
ICYMI:
Petition for 7-1 Republican Map - You can sign to support here.
Petition to Remove Caleb Rowden from Senate Majority Floor Leader - To support, you can sign and also call your Senator.
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