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A Missouri Supreme Court strike-down could impact a U.S. congressman from Miller County, and change the plans of state Senate hopefuls across the Show-Me State.
The Supreme Court ruled, in part, that a challenge to Missouri's newly proposed U.S. House of Representatives districts has some constitutional merit. The high court ruled that a trial court should reexamine a legal challenge to the House districts. Due to 2010 U.S. Census figures, Missouri loses one congressional district, which gave a special committee appointed by the governor the task of contracting Missouri's congressional map from nine districts to eight districts.
A district that U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., would attempt to serve if reelected will be a key to the challengers' argument. The attorney's challenging the map argue that the newly proposed Third District, which would include Miller County and parts of Camden County, would stretch all the way to St. Charles County and the Mississippi River, snaking around St. Louis to both the north and south. The odd shape led the challenging attorneys to question if the lines on the map meet the constitutional definition of "compact."
"This Court makes no prejudgment on these issues, or on the compactness of other districts, other than to hold that Plaintiffs have stated a claim as to the compactness of the districts that is subject to proof and defenses in accordance with evidence as in any other lawsuit," the Supreme Court states in its opinion.
The state Supreme Court issued its opinion per curium, in which the justices write a decision collectively and anonymously.
A Missouri Supreme Court strike-down could impact a U.S. congressman from Miller County, and change the plans of state Senate hopefuls across the Show-Me State.
The Supreme Court ruled, in part, that a challenge to Missouri's newly proposed U.S. House of Representatives districts has some constitutional merit. The high court ruled that a trial court should reexamine a legal challenge to the House districts. Due to 2010 U.S. Census figures, Missouri loses one congressional district, which gave a special committee appointed by the governor the task of contracting Missouri's congressional map from nine districts to eight districts.
A district that U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., would attempt to serve if reelected will be a key to the challengers' argument. The attorney's challenging the map argue that the newly proposed Third District, which would include Miller County and parts of Camden County, would stretch all the way to St. Charles County and the Mississippi River, snaking around St. Louis to both the north and south. The odd shape led the challenging attorneys to question if the lines on the map meet the constitutional definition of "compact."
"This Court makes no prejudgment on these issues, or on the compactness of other districts, other than to hold that Plaintiffs have stated a claim as to the compactness of the districts that is subject to proof and defenses in accordance with evidence as in any other lawsuit," the Supreme Court states in its opinion.
The state Supreme Court issued its opinion per curium, in which the justices write a decision collectively and anonymously.
