The Supreme Court of Missouri is scheduled to hear a docket of cases next week centered on challenges to the state’s new congressional map.
Oral arguments will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, with three appeals coming before the court from Jackson and Cole counties.
The first two cases, Elizabeth Healey, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al. and Terrence Wise, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al., both stem from Jackson County and involve constitutional challenges to the newly adopted congressional district map.
Because these cases raise similar legal questions and involve related facts, the Supreme Court has consolidated them for purposes of oral argument.
The third case, Jake Maggard, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al., is an appeal from Cole County that asks whether implementation of the new congressional map should be suspended while the referendum process moves forward.
People Not Politicians Missouri, a political campaign committee, has submitted more than 300,000 signatures to Hoskins' office for the referendum petition, which would to force a statewide vote on the map.
The Missouri General Assembly passed the map during a special legislative session last year.
The new congressional map will likely flip the 5th Congressional District to Republican control. This district encompasses the Kansas City area and is currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver.
Preliminary numbers published by Hoskins' office showed People Not Politicians collected enough signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.
However, Hoskins has said no final decision has been made on whether his office will approve or reject the referendum for placement on the ballot.
In a separate People Not Politicians case against Hoskins over the certification of signatures for the measure, legal representation for Hoskins filed an update on the signature certification process. The document said local election authorities and the secretary of state are still reviewing and verifying signatures.
