Members of People not Politicians and other progressive groups protested proposed congressional maps in front of Missouri’s Supreme Court Tuesday morning.
The court was deliberating over a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of recent redistricting efforts.
Historically, Missouri’s legislature – like most states -- has only drawn a map after a new census is released at the beginning of a decade. Gov. Mike Kehoe broke that tradition last September when he called lawmakers back for a special session at the urging of President Donald Trump.
Opponents say Kehoe’s move was unconstitutional. According to them, Missouri’s constitution bars the legislature from redrawing maps without new census data. The last map was drawn in 2022 following the 2020 census.
Jefferson City pastor Rev. W.T. Edmonson, who gave a speech at the event, said further gerrymandering the map to add another Republican seat would not represent the will of all Missourians.
“You’re gonna get better decisions when you have people from different perspectives coming together and getting consensus to say this is what we want to do,” Edmonson said.
Organizers also stress the redistricted map attempts to flip the 5th District seat, based in Kansas City, to Republican, challenging one of Missouri’s two Black congresspeople, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. This bothered Edmonson too.
“Let us be clear, we are at a different time. A more sophisticated time,” Edmonson said. “But the goal of racist politics remains the same.”
Protester Catherine Kaiser, who collects signatures for People not Politicians, said the issue has inspired her to care more about Missouri politics.
“I am Missouri,” Kaiser said. “And I have a right to stand up for what Missouri should be and that Missouri is the people.”
There's no timeline for the court's ruling.
