JEFFERSON CITY — A House committee voted 10-4 on party lines Thursday to pass a new congressional map after hours of opposition testimony from the public.
The action by the Special Committee on Redistricting came on the second day of a special session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe to gerrymander congressional districts to add one additional Republican-leaning district in the state.
Arnie Dienoff, a lifetime Republican, speaks out against the redistricting bill while Rep. Christopher Warwick looks at his phone Thursday at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. “We’re Missourians, and we’re taking orders from Washington,” Dienoff said.
More than 30 residents from across the state spoke in opposition to the bill, raising concerns that party loyalty and undemocratic ideals influenced the formation of the districts and how that will affect representation for people in those areas.
“I guess my concern is that when you spread multiple different demographics across such a large geographical area, then how can you meet the needs for all rural people, suburban people and people in urban populations,” said Jennie Loomis of Jefferson City.
The new map spreads several districts from urban Kansas City across the state while eliminating a Democratic district centered in Kansas City.
Republicans emphasized how redrawing a district map before the normal 10-year census requirement is not uncommon as their response to many concerns citing unconstitutional grounds for the bill.
Rep. Kem Smith, D-Florissant, listens to testimony of those speaking out against the redistricting bill on Thursday at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. Smith was against the redistricting bill.
Susan Klein, executive director for Missouri Right to Life, who expressed a need for more anti-abortion legislators from the state, was the only resident who supported the bill during the hearing.
Democrats pressed for postponing the committee vote until next week, when committee members would have had more time to review the map and data presented to them. They complained that they received the information underpinning the map the day before the committee hearing.
“We never got numbers, we never got a map,” said Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, D-Columbia. “We never got population data, we never got partisan demographic data.” She said the data was only provided after Democrats asked for it.
Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Seneca, who is handling the redistricting bill, had tense discussions with some committee members during his testimony as they pressed for information about who made the proposed map and how they received the data to conduct a redrawing.
Democrats harped on the point of the map being proposed by the governor’s office and suggested the Trump administration was behind the redistricting effort.
“As the governor made clear ... this map was made in Missouri, for Missouri,” Deaton said.
Deaton stated that the proposed map was based on population rates and had nothing to do with demographics and party affiliations, a concern some legislators raised.
However, Deaton said that he and other bill proposers were not open to any changes made to the map when asked if he would support any amendments.
Rep. Michael Davis, R-Belton, discusses the possibility of a small change to the bill to prevent the splitting of a community in Kansas City on Thursday at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. The change did not end up in the bill.
Republican legislators used that viewpoint as committee minority leader, Rep. Mike Sharp, D-Kansas City, withdrew his proposal to make a minor change in the District 5 region line after legislators were confused by the change.
Brian Kaylor, left, waits for his turn to speak about the redistricting bill on Thursday at the state Capitol in Jefferson City. He would go on to testify against it.
Republican legislators stayed quiet for most of the public testimonies and occasionally offered challenging questions and answers to some of the speakers.
The committee vote sends the bill to the Rules Committee and prepares it for an expected debate Monday on the House floor. The Senate is expected to convene next week once the House gives the bill approval, which is expected with Republicans holding a super majority.