Governor Mike Kehoe has issued a proclamation calling a special session of the Missouri General Assembly beginning Wednesday, with the aim to redraw Congressional boundaries considered more favorable to Republicans.

In his announcement Friday, Aug. 29, Kehoe unveiled what he’s calling the “Missouri First Map”, which he says would make the state’s districts more compact while better representing, in his words, “Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values”. Kehoe added that if the General Assembly agrees to the map, the new map will change the boundaries of six congressional districts to split fewer counties and communities, while keeping each current Congressman in their current district.

The proposed map would move Lafayette and Saline counties back into the Fifth District, currently represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City. Also moving to the Fifth would be Cooper, Howard, Johnson, Moniteau, Morgan, Pettis, and Randolph counties, as well as northern Boone County. Benton County would remain in the Fourth District currently represented by Cass County Republican Mark Alford, while Carroll, Chariton, Ray, and points north would remain in the Sixth District and Congressman Sam Graves, the current House Transportation Chairman.

While the northern half of Columbia would join the rest of the city in Third District, Kansas City would find more of itself split between three districts. Areas west of Troost Avenue would move to the Fourth District, while portions of the historic Northeast neighborhood north of Independence Avenue would move to the Sixth District. Lone Jack would remain in the Fourth District, while Oak Grove is moved to the Fifth District.

Missouri’s current Congressional map was adopted in 2022 after the decennial U.S. Census, and is normally in place for ten years. The proposal comes following a redrawing of Congressional boundaries earlier this month by lawmakers in Texas, seen as attempting to elect more Republicans to Congress. Democrats in California have responded by pushing to suspend their nonpartisan redistricting commission in favor of a map seen as favoring Democrats. Republicans currently have a 219-212 majority in the House of Representatives, with four seats currently vacant.

Also in his proclamation, Kehoe is calling on state lawmakers to put before voters a ballot measure that, if passed, would require future ballot measures to pass by a majority in each of the state’s congressional districts, rather than a simple statewide majority. The proposal would also, ban foreign nationals from contributing to committees for or against a ballot measure, make it a criminal offense for fraudulently signing or gathering signatures for a statewide ballot measure, require a public comment period prior to a statewide ballot measure being certified for signature collection, and require the full text be printed and available to voters at all election sites and polling places.

Proposed Congressional map

Source: Governor Mike Kehoe’s Office

Current Congressional Map

Source: U.S. Census Bureau