Bill to Revert to Old Congressional Districts On the Ballot, For Now

A measure to revert Missouri's congressional maps to their 2022 and 2024 boundaries is on the ballot, the Missouri News Network reported Thursday. It will be known as Proposition A. The Missouri Supreme Court overruled Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' efforts to block the measure from appearing on the ballot. This is in addition to the ruling allowing Amendment 6, the measure to restrict the legislature from overturning initiative-based ballot measures, to be on the November ballot.

While the measure is on the ballot, the Missouri congressional districts will revert to their previous maps. The redistricting passed by the legislature would have made the 6th District, represented by Sam Graves, more competitive. It was designed to oust Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who is a Democrat who has represented District 5, including Kansas City, for many years. Mr. Graves did not seek reelection this year. The redistricting was done at the urging of President Donald Trump.

The Missouri Secretary of State and the Missouri Attorney General are seeking to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court. 

Editor's note -- The Supreme Court denied the Missouri Secretary of State and Attorney General's appeal. Proposition A will be on the November ballot, and Missouri's congressional elections will be held using the 2022 maps.

Casey Guernsey -- Vote Yes on Proposition A

 by State Representative Casey Guernsey

Few things are more frustrating than learning about a ballot issue at the time of voting.  Considering how important each of these initiatives are to each and every one of us, I have decided to dedicate my weekly column space to one proposal a week until the election. I strongly believe if people understand the background to each of these issues, they will better be able to decide for themselves how to vote on them. Last week I wrote about Proposition 'E' relating to the healtcare exchange question. This week I'm tackling prop 'A' which deals with the question of the St. Louis Police Department.

St. Louis City had more of a Union sentiment during the civil war, while state government officials were Confederate sympathizers. This difference, along with its location on the river and its great arsenal, made St. Louis City of particular importance in the time leading up to and during the Civil War. Extreme partisan measures were being taken on both sides of the slavery issue to secure control of this strategically significant city. Gaining control of the local police department was key to gaining control of the city's arsenal and in turn the Mississippi River. The Governor took action to control the St. Louis police department and today, the outdated law still remains in place.

With STATEWIDE voter approval, control of the St. Louis Police Department will be restored to where it belongs — with the people and City of St. Louis. We in Rural Missouri stands to benefit from this good-government initiative as it increases the accountability of the St. Louis Police Department and reduces state and local costs by an estimated $4.5 million.

Supporters of the ballot measure include the St. Louis Police Officers Association, the mayor of the City of St. Louis and more than 80 rural lawmakers, including myself, and mayors. I encourage you to vote “yes” on Proposition A and return local control of the St. Louis police force back to the city.