Missouri Senate filibusters overnight on congressional map after rejecting 7-1 proposal
The Missouri Senate on Tuesday morning entered the 15th hour of a filibuster of the state’s proposed new congressional map, after beating back an early effort by hardline conservatives to gerrymander Kansas City’s safe Democratic seat in order to gain a district for the GOP.
By 8 a.m., senators were debating a “compromise” map proposed by Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican.
That map is still expected to preserve the state’s current composition of six Republican and two Democratic seats, keeping Kansas City and most of Jackson County together in the 5th District. The seat is currently held by Kansas City Democrat Emanuel Cleaver.
“You’re never going to make everybody happy. There’s no way to massage everything just the right way,” Rowden said.
Rowden said his map would likely shore up Republican U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner. She represents the 2nd Congressional District, which includes portions of the St. Louis metro area.
The “7-1” map pushed by hard-right conservatives was rejected overnight in a 24-8 vote. Hearings on all other legislation Tuesday in the Senate have been canceled.
It was a defeat for the Senate Conservative Caucus, which has clashed with GOP leadership over the map. The caucus, fresh from a victory last week when it forced out the state health director for allegedly pressing too aggressively for COVID-19 vaccination, held a rally in the Capitol on Monday to demand a 7-1 map.
Their map would have split Kansas City from the rest of Jackson County and put it into a district that extends as far west as Jefferson City.
Fourteen Republicans joined the chamber’s 10 Democrats in defeating the plan around 10 p.m. Monday, after the hardliners spoke for five hours.
“It is entirely possible to draw a 7-1 map that represents Missouri values, that’ll … send more elected representatives to Washington, D.C. to oppose the radical agenda of Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer and AOC,” said Sen. Bob Onder, a Lake St. Louis Republican, on Monday. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Onder accused his fellow Republicans of “ceding the field” and “surrendering” to what would likely be a lawsuit brought by Democratic groups if a 7-1 map is passed.
On Tuesday morning, hardline Republicans were chewing up floor time in a bid to keep alive the possibility of a 7-1 map and force concessions from GOP leaders. They triggered frequent quorum calls to force absent and sleep-deprived senators to the floor and gave off-topic speeches, such as sharing the story of Jim the Wonder Dog, a Llewellin Setter who died in Marshall, Mo., in 1937 and was said to have extraordinary abilities.
Rank-and file Republicans have balked at the 7-1 proposal, citing the state constitution’s provisions that districts remain “compact” and “contiguous” and concerns that those GOP districts would contain so many Democratic voters the seats could flip in future elections.
After the vote, Democrat Steven Roberts of St. Louis introduced a map that he said would strengthen minority voter representation in the 1st congressional seat held by Democrat Cori Bush. That district’s majority-minority population is protected by the Voting Rights Act.
Democrats, who held the floor overnight, have said a 5-3 map would be a fairer representation of Missouri’s voting population. In 2020 former President Donald Trump won 56.8% of the vote in Missouri while President Joe Biden got 41.4%.
But GOP leadership has indicated the most likely outcome is a 6-2 map that boosts the two eastern Missouri districts around St. Louis for Republicans.
Earlier versions of this story incorrectly reported that Sen. Bob Onder, a Lake St. Louis Republican, is running for Congress.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 10:14 AM.