2025 Missouri Special Legislative Session

The new map breaks the Kansas-City-based district of Democrat Emmanuel Cleaver into three in an effort to make it more Republican-leaning.

Missouri Democrats gathered in St. Louis on Saturday for their annual Truman Dinner, the biggest event of the year for a party that remains on the outs in state politics.

If redistricting opponents can convince the courts that the constitution doesn’t authorize mid-decade redistricting, then the map passed earlier this month likely won’t go into effect.

State Sen. Lincoln Hough voted against efforts to end debate on gerrymandering and initiative petition bills — and was swiftly removed as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The group People Not Politicians announced Friday that it plans on gathering signatures to prevent the new congressional map from going into effect until there’s a statewide vote.

Missouri senators are expected to debate and then vote Friday on redistricting that seeks to oust Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver as well as a plan to make it harder to pass citizen-led constitutional amendments.

Republicans used a procedural maneuver to cut off debate over the rules of the special session.

House Speaker Jon Patterson’s no vote caught the attention of detractors of the redrawn congressional map.

The proposed map could be open to a referendum that could prevent the measure from going into effect.

Missouri lawmakers convened during a special session to pass a law that would allow the state to partially pay for new stadiums or stadium improvements.