A second map defining Senate districts in Missouri has been released after the initial map drew concerns.
The red lines show the redrawn districts issued Dec. 8 by the Apportionment Commission; the blue lines indicate the original districts recently released, which drew criticism as being unconstitutional. Click map to view larger. (Graphic design by Jessica Machetta).
A panel of appeals judges drew the maps for House and Senate districts after the legislature couldn’t agree on their own. The changes are mandated by population shifts shown by the census every ten years.
However, the Apportionment Commission was criticized for splitting counties and leading republicans said the new lines showed a democratic slant. Currently, 23 republicans hold Senate seats in the Missouri Legislature; there are eight democrats.
The state constitution states that Senate district cannot cross county lines unless the neighboring county has too many people to fit into a single Senate district.
The new map shows the commission regrouped Johnson County near Kansas City, Green County, areas of St. Louis and outstate areas in Southeast and Southwest Missouri.