Congressional redistricting runs into strong opposition in the state senate. It’s not congressional redistricting per se that ruffles senatorial fur. It’s the way the House plan carves up counties, precincts, communities, even neighborhoods.
For Senator Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau, it’s the way the House urbanizes the mostly rural southeast Missouri district and he vows, “I have no intention of letting us come to a vote on the House map.”
For Senator Bill Stouffer of Napton, the idea of linking three rural counties with downtown Kansas City provides no commonality of interest. “This map doesn’t have a chance to go through this body,” he says.
And for Senator LuAnn Ridgeway of Smithville, north of Kansas City, the House map just makes no sense. “I can’t really find the rhyme or reason for how I would explain to somebody that they are in the fifth district or the sixth district,” she complains.
Senate redistricting chairman Scott Rupp says he’s gotten the message that the House plan recommended by his committee is in trouble. A senate plan has not yet come up for debate. And there’s at least one other proposal that could be introduced.
