A Cole County judge has scheduled hearings on Tuesday for two separate challenges to Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ decision to block ballot questions.
Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green also ruled Wednesday that a Republican coalition can join a lawsuit challenging Hoskins’ decision to block a referendum on Missouri’s congressional map.
The Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Missouri Republican State Committee asked to intervene in the case, saying they should have a role in defending the Republican perspective.
Attorney Chuck Hatfield, who represents Richard Von Glahn, director of the anti-gerrymandering group People Not Politicians, opposed the request. Hatfield argued allowing the Republican groups to intervene could further delay a case the Missouri Supreme Court has indicated needs to move quickly.
A separate decision by Hoskins to block consideration of a constitutional amendment to limit the ability of the legislature to overturn ballot initiatives will also have a hearing Tuesday.
There is a Sept. 8 deadline to determine whether either of the ballot questions will be presented to voters in November. The Missouri Supreme Court this week urged the court to address the congressional map question quickly, as it anticipates an appeal by whichever side loses.
“Election authorities and voters need to understand whether they’re going to see a referendum on House Bill 1 on their ballot in November,” Hatfield said. “The chief judge has sent a letter to Judge Green indicating this case needs to move quickly, and that’s our main concern.”
The lawsuit centers on Hoskins’ decision to block signatures gathered by People Not Politicians seeking a vote on House Bill 1 — passed by the legislature last fall at the urging of President Trump to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts in hopes of adding another Republican seat in Congress.
The signatures are supposed to ensure the referendum on House Bill 1 would be on the ballot for Nov. 3, allowing Missouri voters to weigh in on the new congressional district maps.
Hatfield also criticized Hoskins for waiting until the deadline to make his decision on whether the referendum could move forward.
“Denny Hoskins saying that he had until Aug. 4 to make a decision, that’s all true,” Hatfield said. “But he took every last minute to make the decision, which was not good public policy. It’s not the way to run the railroad.”
Hoskins announced the normal citizen petition process cannot be used to challenge the congressional map. He rejected the other petition on the grounds that it included too many subjects despite being approved by his office last fall for circulation for signatures.
Hatfield said the timing of the case is especially important because election authorities need time to prepare ballots, and voters need to know whether they will see the referendum when they vote in November.
Republican lawyer Marc Ellinger insisted slowing the case was not their goal, and it is in everyone’s best interest to move as quickly as possible.
“I don’t think anybody wants to stall,” Ellinger said. “We need an answer to this question quickly. Whoever wins or loses, I mean, I think it’s pretty clear from the Supreme Court’s letter that they anticipate an appeal from one side or the other.”