The Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Congressional Redistricting Plan
Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times
The Missouri Supreme Court on May 27 unanimously rejected a constitutional challenge to Missouri’s congressional redistricting plan that the state Legislature approved last year.
Missouri’s congressional delegation, currently consisting of six Republicans and two Democrats, is expected to see Republicans gain one seat with the implementation of the new “Missouri First Map.”
The Missouri Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the NAACP, arguing that Governor Mike Kehoe had the legal authority to call the extraordinary session where the redistricting plan was approved.
The NAACP claimed that Kehoe lacked the authority under Article IV, Section 9 of the Missouri Constitution to convene the session, but the court ruled in favor of the state and various officials.
The court stated that the governor has the discretion to determine when an extraordinary occasion has arisen and to call an extraordinary session, rejecting the NAACP’s arguments to the contrary.
The ruling follows a similar decision by the Missouri Supreme Court upholding the state’s 2025 redistricting plan in a separate case on May 12.
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that race may not be the predominant factor in drawing congressional district lines, setting the stage for a nationwide battle over redistricting.
The Epoch Times reached out for comments on the ruling to the office of Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and the NAACP, but no responses were received at the time of publication.
Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.